[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING DR. EDGAR WAYBURN

 Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, it is with a heavy heart that I 
ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the memory of an 
extraordinary environmental pioneer and wilderness champion, Dr. Edgar 
Wayburn. Ed was a soft spoken yet remarkably successful conservationist 
whose legacy is enjoyed by millions. Ed passed away on March 5, 2010, 
at his home in San Francisco at the age of 103.
  Born in Macon, GA, in 1906, Ed made his first trip to California in 
1927, at the age of 21. He was immediately struck by the awe-inspiring 
vistas of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. He was 
captivated by the majestic beauty of California and knew he would one 
day return. After graduating from Harvard Medical School, Ed served in 
the U.S. Air Force during World War II. In 1939, Ed joined the 
fledgling Sierra Club, an organization he would later serve as the 
president of five times. By 1947, Ed was living in the San Francisco 
Bay area and had grown active in efforts to protect the beautiful 
landscapes of coastal California.
  Ed's career in conservation spanned 60 years, during which he was 
never compensated financially for his efforts. Ed maintained his 
private medical practice while dedicating evenings, weekends, and 
vacation time to his relentless pursuit of protecting lands for public 
enjoyment. In California, Ed was instrumental in the creation of 
Redwood National Park, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and 
Point Reyes National Seashore. Working tirelessly alongside the late 
Congressman Phil Burton, Ed won support for protecting these parks, 
which today are some of my great state's most revered natural 
treasures.
  Ed's environmental legacy stretches far beyond California. He and his 
beloved wife Peggy, who passed away in 2002, worked tirelessly to 
protect the Alaskan wilderness. After Ed and Peggy's first life-
changing visit to Alaska, they inspired a national campaign that 
ultimately culminated in the passage of the Alaska National Interest 
Lands Conservation Act, signed into law by President Carter in 1980. As 
a result, the National Park system nearly doubled in size, adding 10 
new national parks with the stroke of the President's pen. To this day, 
the Alaska Lands Act is the largest public lands legislation in the 
history of the United States.
  Ed Wayburn possessed a deep understanding of the value of our public 
lands and precious wild places. In Ed's 2004 publication ``Your Land 
and Mine,'' he states that ``in destroying wilderness, we deny 
ourselves the full extent of what it means to be alive. In preserving 
wilderness, we not only recognize our place in the chain of life, but 
we also invite ourselves to reach, to explore, to wonder, and to make a 
difference.'' Ed held an unshakable belief in the natural world's 
ability to provide humanity with critical opportunities for 
introspection and inspiration. As a doctor, Ed understood the 
connection between an individual's well-being and the health of the 
environment. As a leader, he understood the importance of providing the 
public with wild places to foster that connection.
  In August of 1999, President Clinton presented Ed with the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Clinton said of Ed, ``He has 
saved more of our wilderness than any person alive.'' The Presidential 
Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor an American can receive, 
and signifies the magnitude of the legacy left to us by this great and 
humble man.
  Ed has left an indelible mark on the landscape of America. He was a 
compassionate physician, an inspiring conservationist, and a wonderful 
family man who served his country both in and out of uniform. Though he 
will be deeply missed, Ed has left us with so many priceless gifts. The 
parks he helped to build, and the lands he helped to protect, will be 
enjoyed by Americans and visitors to our great nation for many 
generations to come. And as our world continues to change, and wild 
places grow increasingly rare, the gifts that Ed bestowed upon us will 
become evermore valuable.
  Ed is survived by his daughters Laurie, Cynthia, and Diana; his son 
William; and his three grandchildren. My thoughts and prayers are with 
Ed's family during this difficult time.

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