[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DR. EDGAR WAYBURN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2010

  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay final tribute to a great 
champion of the environment, Dr. Edgar Wayburn. At age 103, Dr. Wayburn 
passed away on March 5th surrounded by his beloved family. His 
accomplishments on behalf of our planet are unsurpassed.
  Joining me in tribute today is Congressman George Miller.
  Working for five decades as a physician, Dr. Wayburn understood that 
the human condition is inextricably linked to the environment. When Dr. 
Wayburn first arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1933, he was 
stunned by the uninterrupted expanse of green beginning in San 
Francisco and crossing the Bay to Marin. He made a lifelong commitment 
to ensuring that it remained protected.
  He had the same experience when he first visited Alaska fifty years 
ago with his wife Peggy. They were captivated by the unique beauty of 
the Alaskan landscape. The national campaign that flowed from that 
first visit resulted in the Alaska Lands Act: the largest public lands 
legislation in the history of the U.S. Congress. Today, more than a 
million acres remain wild largely because of Dr. Wayburn's first trip 
to what he called ``the last frontier.''
  Dr. Wayburn simultaneously fought to preserve and expand one of 
America's pristine ancient forests, Redwood National Park in Northern 
California. Today, these giant redwoods have a permanent home and are 
listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Preserve.
  In San Francisco he orchestrated the creation of Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area (GGNRA), an almost continuous greenbelt stretching down 
the Pacific Coast from Point Reyes Seashore to the Peninsula. In the 
1960s, the idea of an urban national park was an alien concept to 
Congress and the National Park Service. Thanks to the tireless labors 
of Congressman Philip Burton and Dr. Wayburn, along with the support of 
the local community and local environmentalists, GGNRA is today the 
most visited national park and one of our nation's great natural 
treasures. Within its boundaries are redwood forests, beaches, dramatic 
headlands, marshes, abundant wildlife, historic forts, islands in the 
Bay, and a world-famous prison--and all of this incredible diversity 
lies within easy reach of one of the largest metropolitan populations 
in the United States. It is a living testament to the tenacity of Dr. 
Edgar Wayburn.
  Many of us were fortunate to work with Dr. Wayburn on the monumental 
achievement of transferring the Presidio of San Francisco in 1994 from 
a military post to an urban national park. He helped craft a model for 
the nation in a place which respected the stewardship and traditions of 
the military Presidio's tradition as a military base, while enhancing 
the opportunities for volunteerism and environmental education for 
youth.
  Dr. Wayburn received many awards to honor his accomplishments: the 
Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism from Johns Hopkins 
University, the Starker Leopold Award by the Nature Conservancy, the 
John Muir Award by the Sierra Club, and in 1999 Dr. Wayburn's life work 
was recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest 
civilian honor that our country can bestow. As President Clinton said 
at the time, Dr. Wayburn ``saved more of our wilderness than any other 
person alive.''
  Dr. Wayburn, the honorary president-for-life of the Sierra Club, was 
the stealth force behind so many environmental movements to save the 
world's wild lands, forests and waters for the benefit of future 
generations. The magnificent landscapes that he preserved for future 
generations will stand as a lasting monument to him.
  Above all, Dr. Wayburn was devoted to his family: his beloved late 
wife Peggy who was his partner in preserving the environment, his 
children Diane, Laurie, Cynthia and William and three grandchildren. We 
celebrate his life and we honor his memory.

                          ____________________