[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING HULET HORNBECK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 15, 2012

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great 
sadness that I rise today with my colleagues Congressman Pete Stark, 
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Jerry McNerney, and Congressman 
John Garamendi to honor our friend, Hulet Hornbeck, who passed away on 
January 7, 2012. The State of California has lost a tireless leader 
whose many contributions to the East Bay Regional Park District will be 
remembered and revered by the residents of Alameda and Contra Costa 
Counties and by all who knew him.
  Hulet relocated to California soon after the end of World War II and 
began his career at the East Bay Regional Park District. He enjoyed a 
distinguished career as Chief of Land Acquisition for the East Bay 
Regional Park District from 1965 through 1985, serving with legendary 
leaders William Penn Mott and Richard Trudeau. Hulet is credited with 
overseeing the acquisition of 49,000 acres of parkland and expanding 
the District's land holdings from eight parks of 13,000 acres to 46 
parks of 62,000 acres. His acquisitions elevated the East Bay Regional 
Park district to the largest regional urban park district in the 
nation, a unique distinction it still holds today.
  A lifetime conservationist and outdoorsman, Hulet held many positions 
in local trail and conservation organizations and received countless 
honors and awards as a result of his work. He provided leadership and 
advice for organizations, including the California Conservation 
Council, the American Hiking Society, the National Trails Council, the 
Martinez Land Trust, the Trails and Greenways Foundation, American 
Trails, Heritage Trails Fund, Amigos de Anza, the California 
Recreational Trails Committee, the East Bay Area Trails Council, the 
American Trails Association, Solano County Farmlands and Open Space 
Foundation, and the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club.
  In 2005, on Hornbeck's 88th birthday, the California Riding and 
Hiking Trail in the Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline Park was 
renamed the Hulet Hornbeck Trail, ``in recognition of [his] tireless 
efforts in parkland development and management on behalf of the East 
Bay Regional Park District,'' according to the National Trails Training 
Partnership.
  Hulet was one of the most creative land acquisition agents in the 
country; on behalf of the public he partnered with private companies, 
individuals, non-profits, and all levels of government. We owe him and 
the East Bay Regional Park District a great debt of gratitude for 
creating the largest urban regional park district in the nation.
  Mr. Speaker, we invite our colleagues to join us in offering our 
condolences to Hulet's family and friends. Hulet will be sorely missed, 
but his contributions toward environmental conservation and dedication 
to public access to open spaces will be enjoyed for generations to 
come. His legacy lives on in the heart of every resident and visitor 
who seeks solace in the thousands of acres of wild greenbelts that 
grace the East Bay.

                          ____________________