[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 22 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING BOB DURAND, FORMER MASSACHUSETTS SECRETARY OF THE EXECUTIVE 
                    OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 5, 2003

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the citizens of 
Massachusetts in honoring Mr. Bob Durand, former Secretary of the 
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts.
  Mr. Durand has been an environment lover his entire life. He has 
proven his love of the environment as a member of the Massachusetts 
Legislature and as the Secretary of Environmental Affairs. Before, 
during, and after his appointment to the Executive Office of 
Environmental Affairs by long time friend and former Governor Paul 
Cellucci, Mr. Durand worked on a myriad of environmental improvements 
solutions.
  Mr. Durand has worked closely with groups like MassPIRG, the Audubon 
Society, and the Environmental League of Massachusetts. He was a 
powerful environmental advocate during his tenure as a member of the 
Massachusetts State Senate. His accomplishments are vast in number. The 
two that I find most important are the ``open space bond bill'' and the 
``brownfields bill.'' Mr. Durand was also the author of the Community 
Preservation Act. After only two years as Secretary of Environmental 
Affairs, Mr. Durand used the limited financial resources at hand with 
unprecedented innovation to protect more than 100,000 acres of open 
space. He introduced a biodiversity program to help protect both open 
space and the Commonwealth's animal and plant species. Mr. Durand also 
initiated an environmental education program in elementary and 
secondary schools throughout Massachusetts, while taking the time to 
visit many of the schools himself.
  One of Mr. Durand's more famous accomplishments was the River 
Protection Act, which protects over 9,000 miles of rivers and streams. 
After working on this extensive protective measure for seven years, Mr. 
Durand saw his bill signed into law in 1996. As a celebration, Mr. 
Durand and then Governor William F. Weld jumped into the Charles River, 
a delightful moment not soon forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Durand for the many years he has spent 
preserving the environment of Massachusetts. I have enjoyed working 
with Mr. Durand on environmental issues throughout the years, and look 
forward to working with him in the future, as we seek ways to further 
protect Massachusetts' environment. I am sure that the entire House of 
Representatives joins me in thanking Mr. Durand for many years of hard 
work in protecting our environment.

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