[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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                  A TRIBUTE TO SENATOR GAYLORD NELSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2005

  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
leader whose lifetime of public service reflected the very best of 
Wisconsin values. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the man credited with 
sparking the modern environmental movement, died July 3, at the age of 
89.
  Growing up in the small town of Clear Lake, Wisconsin, Senator Nelson 
developed a passion for the natural world, the protection of which 
became his highest political priority. He learned the true value of 
public service from the examples set by his parents, a small-town 
doctor and nurse who were known for treating neighbors in need 
regardless of their ability to pay. Though his political career would 
take him to Madison, WI, and then on to our Nation's Capital, 
Washington, DC., he never lost the friendly and unpretentious character 
that marked his early years in Clear Lake.
  Among elected officials, Senator Nelson's leadership is undeniable. 
He served three terms in Wisconsin's State Senate before being elected 
Governor in 1959. Four years later, he ascended to the U.S. Senate, 
where he served for 18 years.
  His accomplishments are too numerous to list. He is most widely known 
as the founder of Earth Day, an annual celebration that mobilized 
public support for environmental stewardship and brought new political 
attention to the importance of protecting and preserving the natural 
world.
  Building on the grassroots organizing that made Earth Day a success, 
Senator Nelson authored landmark conservation legislation at both the 
State and Federal levels. His legacy includes a huge array of public 
lands and park spaces, including the St. Croix Wild and Scenic 
Riverway, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and Governor Nelson 
State Park. He sponsored legislation to protect rivers and waterways. 
He co-sponsored laws protecting the Appalachian Trail, and banning the 
use of toxic chemicals like DDT and Agent Orange.
  Most widely known for his commitment to conservation, Senator Nelson 
also made his mark in other areas, including consumer protection, 
ethics and opposition to the Vietnam War.
  As remarkable as his legislative accomplishments was the appealing 
and unpretentious style for which he was known. A friend to all, 
Senator Nelson once remarked that he could never dislike anyone whom he 
took the time to know. He avoided partisan rancor, and developed 
lifelong friendships with many whose views he opposed on the Senate 
floor. While he clearly understood that maintaining relationships 
enabled his political accomplishments, his sincere regard for his 
contemporaries was never in question.
  When his career as an elected official ended in 1980, Senator Nelson 
continued his environmental advocacy as chairman of the Wilderness 
Society. As recently as April of this year, Senator Nelson wrote to 
students at MacDowell Montessori in Milwaukee--the same school my own 
granddaughters attended--to hail their Earth Day celebration and urge 
them to adopt a lifelong commitment to the environment.
  Mr. Speaker, millions of Americans owe a debt of gratitude to Senator 
Nelson for his efforts to protect the natural world around us. He 
understood that access to clean air, water, and wilderness is crucial 
not only for our physical survival, but also for our spiritual 
nourishment. I am thankful to him for his passionate pursuit of these 
public goods, and for the example of public service that I take as 
inspiration in my own career.

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