[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 49 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H1806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  LAWRENCE NYE STEVENS--UNSUNG HERO OF AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, there are many individuals who have led 
the way to give us progress, framework and choices we now have known as 
a quest for livable communities. One who has dedicated his professional 
life to enhancement of the environment and preserving the American 
quality of life is Lawrence Nye Stevens, who is here with us today in 
the Capitol with his family and friends, having just celebrated his 
84th birthday. We are honored to have him seated with us in the East 
Gallery. His curiosity, vision and good old American ingenuity to make 
this a better place have put him years ahead of his time.
  His experiences with soil erosion on a cattle ranch in Montana in the 
1930's convinced him that something needed to be done to protect the 
land, and led him to earn a graduate degree in geography that focused 
on land utilization and soil and water conservation. This training was 
put to good use during World War II. Commissioned in the U.S. Navy, 
Larry was in charge of the study of military geography in the European 
Theater.
  After the war, he was Administrative Assistant to the Commissioner of 
Indian Affairs where he started a long career working in the Department 
of Interior in various capacities. In 1968, he was recognized by his 
peers and honored with the Distinguished Service Award by the U.S. 
Department of Interior.
  Under the leadership of Secretary Stewart Udall, Larry Stevens became 
Deputy Director of the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. 
This commission had a profound effect on America's ability to catalogue 
our resources. For example, in 1966 an Outdoor Recreation Commission 
report was prophetic. I quote:

       But parks and other recreation areas are only part of the 
     answer. The most important recreation of all is the kind that 
     people find in their everyday life. Do they find enough of it 
     now? Do children have to be driven to school, or can they 
     walk or cycle to it safely over wooded paths? Are there 
     streams for an afternoon's fishing, or have they all been 
     buried in concrete culverts? Are the stands of woods all 
     gone, or are a few left for a picnic or a stroll? What this 
     means, in short, is an environment. Thus our challenge: Can 
     we shape future growth so that recreation is an integral part 
     of it? It will require a fresh approach.

  A third of a century ago is the first time that I found the word 
``environment'' used in this fashion. It was the term President Nixon 
selected in the landmark National Environmental Policy Act.
  We sometimes forget the leaders who have shown us the way and the 
people who provide key research analysis and advocacy like Larry 
Stevens. He is a man of strong convictions. He has long been concerned 
about the waste that we see around us, waste of taxpayer money, waste 
of energy, minerals, food and fiber, and by the loss of prime 
agricultural land to unwise land use. He has cautioned us throughout 
his life that we cannot afford a ``quick fix'' philosophy that 
increasingly pervades our economy and society. He has truly been a 
pioneer in the area of planning and smart growth.
  He has also been a strong advocate in the use of cycling, and that is 
how I first met him. He was Executive Director of the Citizens' 
Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality when that committee 
authored a publication called ``From Rails To Trails.'' We all owe 
Larry and the citizens' committee appointed by the President a great 
debt of gratitude for highlighting this idea.
  Recently Larry wrote in the Harvard 50th Anniversary Report that 
``Each day I try to ride at least a few miles on my 10-speed bicycle, 
an ingenious and remarkably efficient machine.'' I agree with Larry and 
acknowledge his active participation in the creation of the nationwide 
network of ``rails to trails.''
  We who are in the business of trying to make communities more 
livable, providing tools for our citizens to thrive in the global 
economy, where citizens and private institutions work in partnership 
with government at all levels to ensure safety, economic security and 
healthy communities, we are all still living with the challenge of how 
we shape our growth so that recreation is an integral part of it and 
the preservation of the American heritage is not lost. Larry Stevens is 
one of those unsung heroes.
  It gives me particular pleasure to acknowledge Larry Stevens for his 
commitment to the environment as a private citizen, as a mentor to many 
of my friends and a professional public servant. His imagination, 
commitment to environmental quality and friendship have benefited our 
quest for more livable communities.

  America is in his debt.

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