[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 118 (Friday, July 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MRS. ERNESTINE NEITZEL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVID WU

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 2009

  Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a woman who has 
made a very generous contribution to Oregon's coastal health and to the 
recovery of Pacific salmon and steelhead.
  Mrs. Ernestine Neitzel has spent almost all her life living in the 
Necanicum River valley within the first congressional district of 
Oregon. She moved to Oregon from Colorado in 1925 at the age of four. 
Her father had purchase some farmland on the edge of the Necanicum 
River where they grew vegetables to be sold at local stores in Seaside, 
Oregon.
  In 1945, Ernestine married Mr. Herbert Neitzel, who had recently 
returned from serving in World War II. Together, they purchased an 
additional 25 acres of farmland adjacent to the existing farm and 
expanded it to include dairy cows. During this time, Ernestine also 
delivered bread to the soldiers stationed at Fort Lewis, Oregon and 
worked in several stores in Seaside.
  In the fall of 2008, Ernestine made the decision to give her family 
farmland back to the Necanicum River. Before being cultivated, this 
land was prime estuarine and rearing habitat for Pacific salmon and 
steelhead. Now, she is working with individuals and organizations 
within the state of Oregon to restore the land to its pre-developed 
state. Upon completion, this new wetland and estuarine habitat will 
help strengthen runs of migratory Pacific salmon and steelhead as well 
as resident rainbow trout.
  Ernestine and the Neitzel family have a long history in the Necanicum 
River Valley and have dedicated their lives to enriching the 
surrounding communities. With this contribution, she leaves a legacy of 
environmental conservation and dedication to the restoration of a 
natural resource that is an essential component to our way of life in 
the Pacific Northwest.

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