[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         TRIBUTE TO LES HODGSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Les Hodgson, of 
Brownsville, Texas, who won an award from the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on September 27 and will be in 
Washington, DC, tomorrow to receive his award.
  Les Hodgson is being noted for his volunteer work to save the Kemp's 
Ridley sea turtles. Les was named Volunteer of the Year as a recipient 
of the 1999 Walter B. Jones Memorial and NOAA Excellence Awards for 
Coastal and Ocean Resource Management. Walter Jones was a colleague of 
ours here in the House, and he chaired the Merchant Marine and 
Fisheries Committee in the early 1990s when I was a member. I am very 
proud of Les for the very important environmental work he does in 
volunteering to help save Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.
  Les is a widely-respected and hard working man. Camping with his dad 
when he was young instilled a healthy respect for the environment that 
surrounds us. As co-owner of a shrimping business, his volunteer work 
to save the Kemp's Ridley sea turtles is very unique. He spends his own 
time and money patrolling the South Texas beaches to find turtle nests 
during nesting seasons. Additionally, he has used his relationship with 
other organizations, such as the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), of 
which he is past president and the Texas Shrimp Association, to 
successfully supplement support for these conservation efforts.
  In 1996, Les helped Ocean Trust, a non-profit research and education 
foundation that protects ocean resources, get access to the turtle 
camps to produce a film on the Kemp's Ridley. In 1997, he began 
building a camp at Tepehaujes, the 2nd-largest nesting beach north of 
Rancho Nuevo. He persuaded the NFI Shrimp Council to donate $30,000; 
Les himself purchased building materials and donated labor from his 
company, and organized the volunteers.
  When the camp was dedicated, Les stood in the back, crediting the 
people he persuaded to help make this a reality. When Ocean Trust named 
him The Outstanding Steward in Marine Conservation in Los Angeles, 
typically, Les was unable to personally accept the award since he was 
leading a group of turtle project officials to Mexico. Les is indeed 
the man for this high honor.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the everyday 
excellence in our communities who labor to leave this world in a better 
shape than when we began. Please join me in commending Les Hodgson for 
his unselfish efforts to better the environment.

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