[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 185 (Thursday, December 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2944-E2945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF MAURICE A. SCHWARTZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2009

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Maurice A. Schwartz 
of Stinson Beach, California, who will be retiring next month as 
Executive Director of the Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR). Skip Schwartz--
everyone calls him Skip--a man known for his rare combination of a 
strong work ethic, empathy, kindness and humor, has been at the helm of 
ACR for thirty-four years, a time of great growth and accomplishments 
for the ranch.
  Audubon Canyon Ranch was founded in 1962 to preserve a thickly wooded 
nesting place for great blue herons and great egrets on the shores of 
Bolinas Lagoon. Skip first saw the ranch as a visitor in the early 70s 
and later he and his wife became docents. In 1975 he so impressed the 
ACR's trustees that they hired him as Executive Director. With his 
commitment, boundless enthusiasm and practical know-how, Skip tackled 
the tough problems of a young non-profit and succeeded far beyond 
anyone's expectations.
  Today ACR is a financially solid organization with 24 employees and 
800 volunteers with exciting environmental education and research 
programs and preserve holdings in two counties totaling over 2,000 
acres, and will be a beneficiary of a gift of another 1,700 acres in 
the future. ACR now includes the 1,000 acre Bolinas Lagoon Preserve 
near Stinson Beach; the 535-acre Bouverie Preserve near Glen Ellen in 
Sonoma County, the Cypress Grove Research Center on Tomales Bay and 
several other properties in West Marin. Recently an access agreement 
was signed with Jim and Shirley Modini, whose 1,725-acre Modoni Ranch 
in Sonoma County has been willed to ACR.
  Due largely to Skip's democratic leadership skills, ACR was named 
this year by the North Bay Business Journal as one of the five best 
places to work in the North Bay. Employees--whose average length of 
employment is 11 years--gave Audubon Canyon Ranch the highest marks of 
the five firms honored. Employees cited ACR's family focus and its 
commitment to ``walking the talk'' by making every effort to make the 
workplace green, including establishing mileage reimbursement for 
bicycle use during work hours.
  Under Skip's leadership, ACR scientific contributions also literally 
helped put Bolinas Lagoon on the map as a United Nations RAMSAR site of 
international significance. ACR's conservation science programs have 
grown to include a Research and Habitat Preservation and Restoration 
component.
  Skip has overseen the creation of a nationally recognized elementary 
school environmental education program that serves schools throughout 
the Bay Area at no charge to them or their students. Each year, between 
6,000 and 7,000 students from ethnically and economically diverse 
neighborhoods in four counties participate in ACR's ``hands on'' 
environmental education program.
  Skip Schwartz, who has been the public face of Audubon Canyon Ranch 
for over three decades, will step down as Executive Director in 
January, but he will continue to work part time as a consultant with 
the organization. It appears that the Directors of Audubon Canyon Ranch 
know just how big Skip's shoes will be to fill. He leaves a legacy of 
accomplishment, but at least for some time ACR's Directors, staff and 
many friends will continue to benefit from his knowledge, enjoy his 
humor and kindness, and be inspired by his practical idealism.

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