[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 9, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              SALUTE TO 10 BAY AREA ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS

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                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 9, 1998

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to ten 
outstanding environmental leaders in the San Francisco Bay Area who 
recently were rightly named by the Contra Costa Times as ``Ten Natural 
Treasures.''
  These men and women--some of them my constituents, some activists 
with whom I have had the honor to work--have fought tenaciously to 
protect and preserve not only the resources and the environment of the 
Bay Area, but also the health and safety of the millions of people who 
call this very special region our home. Their vision and their 
dedication establish how determined individuals can change our society 
for the better, and preserve its treasures for generations to come.
  I would like to submit the August 31, 1998 editorial from the Contra 
Costa Times, and ask all my colleagues to join in recognizing these 
outstanding environmental leaders.

                         Ten Natural Treasures

       Last week Times staff writer James Bruggers profiled 10 Bay 
     Area environmentalists--citizen activists--who have left an 
     indelible mark on this glorious area. They are residents who 
     made a tremendous difference in the landscape--literally and 
     figuratively.
       Their efforts have changed how we think about open space, 
     clean water and the ecology of our home.
       Some of them--such as David Brower--are national stars of 
     the movement. Others have made just as significant 
     contributions but at a more local level.
       For the record, they are:
       David Brower, 86. He's considered the patriarch of the 
     American environmental movement. Once a leader of the Sierra 
     Club, he parted ways with the group in 1969 and formed 
     Friends of the Earth and Earth Island Institute.
       Margaret Tracy, 75. She cofounded the Preserve Area 
     Ridgelines Committee, envisioning a network of trails 
     connecting East Bay open spaces.
       Dwight Steele, 84. He was a successful lawyer who chucked 
     it all to devote his legal mind to environmental laws through 
     pro-bono work. He fought to keep San Francisco Bay waters 
     open and Lake Tahoe free of pollution.
       Silvia McGlaughlin, 81. She helped found the Save San 
     Francisco Bay Association, essentially protecting it from 
     infill and development.
       Robert Stebbins, 83. His scientific work was the basis for 
     the California Desert Protection Act, passed Congress in 
     1994.
       Mary Bowerman, 90ish. A co-founder of Save Mount Diablo, 
     she is a botanist who worked to expand the Mt. Diablo State 
     Park's lands.
       Will and Jean Siri, late 70s. They fought for environmental 
     justice in poor East Bay communities. The Siris helped give 
     residents living near refineries a political voice.
       Manfred Lindner, 78. He pressed for Morgan Territory and 
     Las Trampas regional parks.
       Edgar Wayburn, 91. He tenaciously pushed for establishing 
     Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County and the Golden 
     Gate National Recreation Area in Marin and San Francisco.
       These 10 individuals left their footprints on the West. 
     They fought, argued, lobbied and persuaded residents and 
     their legislators that the Bay Area is full of natural 
     treasures worth preserving.
       It was our responsibility--and to our benefit--to treat 
     them and their deeds with respect.
       They saw where disregard of the environment would lead. 
     They grabbed the wheel and insisted we change course. They 
     resolved to preserve the integrity of the Bay Area so that it 
     would still be noted for its uniqueness and its beauty for 
     generations.
       We thank these people, these visionaries, for their 
     efforts. Indeed their sweat equity has paid off.
       Yet despite their youthful energy, these trailblazers won't 
     be leading the charge much longer. Their ages attest to that. 
     Looking beyond the next few years, we wonder whether the next 
     generation is up to the task. Will leaders come forward to 
     carry the banner into the next millennium?
       The answer, of course, must be yes. Otherwise, all of the 
     work of these environmental pioneers will have been in vain.
       Environmental issues of tomorrow include safe and 
     sufficient water supply, suburban sprawl, the competing needs 
     of endangered species and private property rights, old growth 
     forests, our oceans, and the biggie, overpopulation.
       The challenges are plenty and the opportunities grand for 
     those with the courage, tenacity, devotion and vision to 
     accept them.
       We salute these men and women and suggest that they are in 
     and of themselves, treasures.

     

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