[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 21, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E94-E95]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE WORK OF CASCO BAYKEEPER JOE PAYNE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHELLIE PINGREE

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 21, 2015

  Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, from my District Office in Portland, Maine, 
I am fortunate to have a beautiful view of Portland Harbor and Casco 
Bay. On a typical day, one might see cruise ships carrying thousands of 
visitors to our city, lobster boats setting and pulling their traps, 
kayakers paddling to Fort Gorges, and harbor seals popping their heads 
out of the water.
  What's remarkable about this scene is that the bay's many uses--as a 
place for recreation, a source of jobs and economic activity, and 
habitat for marine life--coexist in a way that is not possible in many 
other places in the country. The bay is healthy enough to balance the 
needs of our community with the needs of the environment.
  I rise today to recognize and celebrate a man who has worked 
tirelessly to strike that careful balance and maintain it. Joe Payne is 
the Casco Baykeeper, placing him in the very difficult job of improving 
and safeguarding the health of our bay. After nearly 25 years of doing 
that job remarkably well--as a scientist, advocate, and relationship 
builder--he is retiring.
  Joe's accomplishments during his tenure as Baykeeper are too many to 
list in full, but here are some highlights. During a 1996 oil tanker 
spill, he pushed successfully for a quicker and more thorough response 
than what was initially given, preventing what could have been a 
disastrous impact on the bay. He launched a groundbreaking water-
quality monitoring program that has mobilized 650 volunteers. He helped 
move 35,000 lobsters that would have been harmed or displaced by a 
harbor dredge. And he fought for state legislation that has kept cruise 
ships from dumping their wastewater into the bay.
  I have had the pleasure of working with Joe over the years. Most 
recently, I appeared with him at a press conference where he used dye, 
a bowl of seawater, and a chunk of dry ice to demonstrate how climate 
change is making our ocean more acidic and less habitable for 
shellfish. The dramatic reaction was a great example of Joe's ability 
to draw attention to critical issues in ways that make people 
understand and care.
  I wish my very best to Joe in retirement, though I will miss him in 
the role of Baykeeper. If I need any reminder of his leadership and 
legacy, however, all I have to do is look out the window.

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