[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 108 (Monday, July 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1332-E1333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   MOLLIE BEATTIE WILDERNESS AREA ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 16, 1996

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, on June 27, 1996, we lost Mollie Beattie, a 
friend and an ally, to a battle with brain cancer. Head of the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS], Mollie worked diligently to preserve 
our ecosystem and protect it for the future of our Nation. As the first 
woman to head the USFWS, she worked wonders shrinking budgets while 
still expanding the Federal refuge system.
  A philosophy major at Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y. Mollie 
later found herself involved in an Outward Bound course, through which 
she rediscovered her love for nature, which led her to a career as an 
environmental official. Her philosophy on the environment

[[Page E1333]]

changed the way that the USFWS worked, by providing for the ecosystem 
as a whole instead of dividing the country into parts.
  In particular, Mollie was instrumental in helping me create 
legislation to authorize the purchase of Shadmoor in Montauk, Long 
Island. When acquired, this land will be preserved as a national 
wildlife refuge. Thanks to her help and dedication, this legislation is 
now law and we are one step closer to the preservation of Shadmoor.
  The entire Nation may not realize the extent to which Mrs. Beattie 
has touched our lives, but those who knew her personally and knew what 
she worked for will miss her dedication and her spirit. May she rest in 
peace.

                          ____________________