[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 31, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E11]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING KEN STROM, RECIPIENT OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY'S 
                           GOLDEN EGRET AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 31, 2006

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Ken 
Strom, who is this recipient of the National Audubon Society's Golden 
Egret Award.
  Ken is the Director of Conservation and Public Policy for Audubon 
Colorado, a graduate of Cornell University, and a Viet Nam veteran.
  Ken started his Audubon experience at Francis Beidler Forest in South 
Carolina. For 11 years Ken managed Audubon's Rowe Wildlife Sanctuary, a 
critical habitat for Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes on the Platte 
River in Nebraska. Ken's efforts protected hundreds of thousands of 
these birds so that they could use the same feeding grounds as their 
predecessors.
  Ken coordinated a series of international partnerships for over ten 
years in which he advised scientists and policy-makers in a number of 
countries including Russia and Pakistan, countries without a history of 
wildlife conservation. These unique partnerships allowed Ken to 
establish conservation strategies for water resources and wetland 
habitats. Due to his work with Mumtaz Malik in the Northwest Frontier 
of Pakistan, two protected areas for cranes today exist on branches of 
the Indus River. In Russia, he was part of team with Serge Smirenski, 
George Archibald and Noritaki Ishida that established the first private 
park on the Indus River.
  In Colorado, Ken has helped to establish and monitor 53 Important 
Bird Areas (IBA). Given the state of wetlands in Colorado, this 
accomplishment stands out. Ken also directed Audubon's highly visible 
nationwide population and habitat program that engaged hundreds of 
leaders and 20,000 activists working on education and public advocacy. 
A result of this significant project, millions of Americans learned 
about the effects between human population growth and the environment.
  Ken served as an instructor and director of Audubon's Ecology Camp in 
the Rockies, educating teachers, instructors and citizens. He inspired 
hundreds of people each year to become voices on behalf of 
conservation.
  Ken is also an accomplished writer with a keen sense for describing 
nature. He is the co-editor with his wife, Pat Waak, of the book, 
``Sharing the Earth: Cross Cultural Perspectives on Population, 
Wildlife and the Environment.'' He is also the author of ``Population 
and Habit in the New Millennium.''
  Ken Strom is effectively working to fight the good fight to protect 
and win important victories for wilderness, wetlands and other critical 
habitat areas. As Audubon honors Ken Strom with its highest award, I 
believe it is fitting for my colleagues to join me in acknowledging a 
lifetime of achievement in conservation.

                          ____________________