[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 179 (Friday, December 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S12411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         REMEMBERING TOM GRAFF

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to honor 
the life of Tom Graff, a pioneer of the environmental movement. Mr. 
Graff passed away on November 12, 2009, after a long battle with 
cancer. He was 65.
  Born in Honduras in January 1944, Tom Graff was the son of German 
Jewish refugees. He spent his childhood in Syracuse, NY, attending 
Phillips Exeter Academy. He later graduated from Harvard University, 
Harvard Law School, and the London College of Economics. After 
graduation, Tom clerked for Federal judge Carl McGowen in Washington, 
DC, and was a legislative assistant to New York Mayor John Lindsay. In 
1970, he moved to California to work for Howard, Prim, Smith, Rice & 
Downs, a law firm based in San Francisco.
  In 1971, Tom founded the California office of the Environmental 
Defense Fund. From then until 2008 when he retired, Tom served as 
Environmental Defense Fund's regional director. For more than 37 years, 
Tom worked tirelessly and passionately as an advocate for the 
environment. He established a new form of environmental activism based 
on the idea that economics could, and probably should, play a 
significant role in environmental policymaking. Tom believed that 
paying attention to how economic incentives influenced business and 
personal behavior was critical to bringing about environmental 
improvements.
  Although he was involved with a number of environmental issues, it 
was Tom's significant contributions to water policy that left an 
indelible mark in California. From the American River to Mono Lake to 
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Tom strove to ensure that water was 
distributed appropriately, and that the environment got its fair share. 
Working together with Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey and 
Congressman George Miller of Martinez, Tom was a guiding force behind 
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1991, a milestone in the 
environmental movement to protect the delta. He helped craft the 
historic proposal to use water markets and public subsidies that 
ultimately resolved the controversy around Mono Lake. He also did 
battle with the East Bay Municipal Utility District when it sought a 
second source of water from the American River, known for its abundant 
fall salmon run. Concerned for the health of the river, the 
Environmental Defense Fund filed suit against EBMUD. Seventeen years 
later, a landmark decision designated a baseline environmental flow 
need for the American River that stands to this day as a benchmark in 
river policy.
  Throughout his career, Tom's commitment to conservation and the 
benefits it brought was evident in the work he did every day. His 
lifetime of contributions and his stewardship of the environment will 
not soon be forgotten.
  Tom is survived by his wife Sharona Barzilay; his three children 
Samantha, Benjamin, and Rebecca; and two grandsons Avi and Rafael. I 
extend my deepest sympathies to his family.
  Tom was a true pioneer and advocate for a healthy and sustainable 
environment, working tirelessly to provide new approaches for managing 
natural resources. His efforts will continue to shape California's 
water policies for generations to come.

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