[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


HONORING PATAGONIA FOUNDER YVON CHOUINARD, RECIPIENT OF THE LOS PADRES 
                  FOREST WATCH WILDERNESS LEGACY AWARD

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                          HON. JULIA BROWNLEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2013

  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, today, I congratulate Yvon 
Chouinard, the 2013 recipient of the Los Padres Forest Watch Wilderness 
Legacy Award.
   Mr. Chouinard started out as a self-taught blacksmith, selling 
aluminum pitons for mountain climbing out of the trunk of his car. The 
only pitons available at that time were made of soft iron, placed once, 
and then left in the rock to rust. In Yosemite, multiday ascents 
requiring hundreds of placements had left these once-smooth majestic 
surfaces scarred and pocked. Aluminum pitons revolutionized the sport, 
preventing further damage and preserving awe-inspiring peaks across the 
United States. This past year, the company Mr. Chouinard founded, 
Patagonia, Inc., grossed $414 million dollars in sales.
   As his business expanded to outdoor gear and clothing, Mr. Chouinard 
has brought these same ethical principles to bear by using recycled and 
organic materials and adapting energy efficient production methods. 
Every year, Patagonia pledges 1% of its yearly sales to further 
conservation work across the globe. Patagonia's tireless commitment has 
proven that in business the planet does not need to be sacrificed for 
profit.
   Patagonia is an invaluable partner in the Ventura County community, 
working with local organizations like Los Padres Forest Watch to 
protect California's wild places. Shortly after Los Padres Forest Watch 
held its first board meeting in 2004, they received a grant from 
Patagonia. Since that time, Patagonia has generously given grants to 
support their important local forest protection work, as well as 
volunteering their employees, donating their products, and organizing 
fundraising events like the annual 5k Salmon Run. Yvon Chouinard and 
Patagonia have had a positive and lasting influence on the preservation 
of the Los Padres National Forest.
   I am pleased to join Los Padres Forest Watch in honoring Mr. 
Chouinard for his legacy of environmental activism and ensuring 
Patagonia is an exemplary model of environmental corporate stewardship.

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