[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE RACHEL CARSON NATURE TRAIL DESIGNATION ACT OF 2013

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2013

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I introduce the Rachel Carson Nature Trail 
Designation Act of 2013, to recognize Rachel Carson, an environmental 
pioneer and inspiration for environmental consciousness best known for 
her groundbreaking book Silent Spring. In September 2012, we celebrated 
the 50th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring, which has 
been translated into more than a dozen languages. The idea for my bill, 
which designates a National Park Service trail in the District of 
Columbia in honor of Ms. Carson, was brought to me by Glover Park 
residents.
  Ms. Carson was born on May 27, 1907, on a farm in Springdale, 
Pennsylvania, graduated magna cum laude with a biology degree from the 
Pennsylvania College for Women (later Chatham College), and received a 
full scholarship that enabled her to obtain a master's degree in marine 
zoology from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. A world-renowned 
environmental scientist, writer, and educator, Ms. Carson worked as a 
federal employee for most of her professional life as a writer, editor, 
and ultimately, Editor-in-Chief for the U.S. Department of Fish and 
Wildlife Service's publications department.
  Ms. Carson accomplished much of her seminal professional work as a 
federal employee at the U.S. Department of the Interior in the 
District. She often used Glover Archbold Park in the District as a site 
from which she drew observations about nature and the environment. She 
performed research on the dangers of pesticides, and her findings were 
sustained by the Science Advisory Committee, created during President 
John F. Kennedy's administration. As a result, federal and state 
legislatures enacted pesticide legislation. Her work also paved the way 
for groundbreaking environmental protection legislation throughout the 
world. Ms. Carson was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and 
Letters and received many other honors. She died on April 14, 1964, in 
Silver Spring, Maryland, leaving a rich legacy that will continue to 
benefit present and future generations well beyond the 50th anniversary 
of Silent Spring.
  Last year, I testified at a meeting of the National Capital Memorial 
Advisory Commission on the bill. The commission asked for additional 
information on Carson's work in the park. We are providing the 
commission with such information, and would expect its support for the 
designation at its next meeting.
  My bill serves to commemorate Rachel Carson for her tireless efforts 
to make the District of Columbia, the United States, and, indeed, the 
world a better and safer place for us all. The trail designated by the 
bill, located in the NPS's Glover Archbold Park in the District, will 
be known as the ``Rachel Carson Nature Trail.'' The bill ensures that 
Rachel Carson's contributions will be remembered and treasured for 
years to come.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

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