[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E214-E215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN MEMORIAM THEODORE R. ``TED'' SWEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2006

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, on February 7th, America lost one 
of its conservation leaders with the passing of Theodore R. Swem--known 
to everyone as ``Ted''--whose long career was marked by the highest 
standards of dedication to the public interest.
  Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on December 6, 1917, he attended Coe 
College, in Iowa

[[Page E215]]

and received his Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Iowa State 
University in Ames. After completing one year of graduate work at the 
Biology School at Harvard University, he went to work for the Colorado 
State Game and Fish Department, and eventually became the Coordinator 
for the Federal Aid to the Wildlife Restoration Program.
  In 1946, he went to work at the Regional Office of the Bureau of 
Reclamation, where he was responsible for wildlife, recreation, and 
land use planning in reclamation projects in a four state region.
  During the 1950s, Ted worked with other conservationists to encourage 
Colorado legislators to enact legislation to establish a state park 
system. Thanks to the efforts of Ted and this group, today all 
Coloradans--and our visitors as well--can enjoy State Parks throughout 
Colorado.
  In 1957, Ted joined the National Park Service and steadily ascended 
to various planning positions, eventually becoming the Assistant 
Director for Cooperative Activities in 1964. In this capacity, he was 
responsible for studying potential areas, and master planning existing 
areas of the National Park System, Wilderness, Federal Agency and State 
Assistance, Park Practice and the International Affairs Programs of the 
Service.
  The large number of additions to the National Park System during the 
middle and late 1960s reflect the magnitude of this activity.
  In September 1969, Ted became Superintendent of the National Capital 
Region of the National Park Service. In March 1971, he became the 
Assistant Director to the Director.
  From 1972 to 1976, Ted was responsible for the National Park Service 
program activity in Alaska as related to the Alaska Native Claims 
Settlement Act, and was key to development of National Park areas in 
Alaska.
  During this period, he became Chairman of the Alaska Planning Group 
for the Department of Interior and coordinated the multi-agency effort 
that produced the 28 ``Four System'' legislative proposals and related 
Environmental Impact Statements as submitted to Congress by the 
Secretary of the Interior, Rogers C.B. Morton, in December 1973. In 
February 1976, Ted retired from the National Park Service.
  Ted's work thus set the stage for enactment of the Alaska National 
Interest Lands Conservation Act, which was signed into law by President 
Carter on December 2, 1980. This Act is often called the most 
significant land conservation measure in the history of our nation. The 
statute protected over 100 million acres of federal lands in Alaska, 
doubling the size of the country's national park and refuge system and 
tripling the amount of land designated as wilderness.
  While with the National Park Service Ted was Chairman of the United 
States Section, Joint Japan-United States Panel on National Parks and 
Equivalent Reserves. He was also a member of the Canadian-United States 
Committee on National Parks; a Board Member of the Wilderness Society 
Governing Council; a member of the International Union Conservation of 
Nature; and Chairman of the Commission on National Parks and Protected 
Areas.
  After his retirement he was president of the Wilderness Society 
Governing Council from 1978 to 1980; a Board Member of American Rivers, 
Inc.; and Management Consultant to Silvertip Consulting and the 
Defenders of Wildlife.
  He was the recipient of the Meritorious and Distinguished Service 
Award of the Department of Interior, was recognized in 1981 by the 
Japanese Government by receiving the 50th Anniversary Award for his 
distinctive work in their behalf, and received the Robert Marshall 
Award from the Wilderness Society on their 50th Anniversary--the 
Society's highest award presented to a private citizen.
  Ted also received the Alaska National Parks Conservation Leadership 
Award and recognition for his initial work on the making of the 
Klondike Goldrush an International Park between the United States and 
Canada.
  At the time of his death, he was living in Colorado, where he had 
served on the Bureau of Land Management Land Disposal Committee for 
Clear Creek County, and performed work on the Task Force for Evergreen 
Lake, as well as on some of the Open Space areas in Jefferson County.
  Ted and his wife Helen were married 57 years. Their four children now 
live in Denver, Alaska, and Brazil. I hope the sadness of their loss is 
tempered by pride in their father's record of achievement and the many 
lasting gifts he has left to our country and the world.

                          ____________________