[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING WILLIAM KORTUM

  (Mr. HUFFMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of Bill 
Kortum, regarded by many as the father of the environmental movement in 
Sonoma County.
  Bill grew up in a Sonoma County that was much more rural and 
undeveloped than today. By the early 1960s, he foresaw that a growing 
population could threaten the county's natural landscape, so he fought 
to protect the home he loved.
  He was singularly responsible for instituting lasting environmental 
protections throughout Sonoma County and California, though he would 
never claim credit for them.
  One of Bill's first victories was to prevent the development of 
PG&E's nuclear power plant at Bodega Head. He helped create the 
California Coastal Commission, which continues to guarantee public 
access to the coast today.
  He established Sonoma County Conservation Action, helped create the 
Sonoma County Open Space District, and championed the Sonoma Land Trust 
and the SMART train.
  Bill illustrates the incredible impact one person can have in making 
the world a better place. His legacy in Sonoma County and beyond will 
not soon be forgotten.
  I extend my deepest condolences to his partner in much of this work, 
his dear wife Lucy, as well as his three children and grandchildren.

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