[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 184 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1811-E1812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING JEAN STARKWEATHER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Jean Starkweather, who 
passed away in San Rafael, California, on November 23, four days shy of 
her 86th birthday. A lifelong advocate for the environment and a 
beloved leader in Marin County, Mrs. Starkweather will be remembered 
for her unyielding activism, her gentle spirit, and her steadfast sense 
of purpose related to protecting natural resources in Marin County.
   Mrs. Starkweather was born in Seattle in 1929 and moved to San 
Rafael with her husband soon after graduating from Carleton College. 
She began her environmental advocacy in the early 1970s as chair of a 
local homeowners group, when she fought against developments on a 
hillside near Terra Linda. From there, she joined a litany of groups 
working to preserve natural spaces, including the Citizens Advisory 
Committee for the San Rafael, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and the Marin 
County Parks and Open Space commission.
   Not only was Mrs. Starkweather involved with numerous conservation 
groups--she was a leader in practically every organization she joined. 
Throughout the decades, she helmed the San Francisco Bay Association, 
Marin Audubon Society, and Marin Conservation League (MCL), among 
others. Her involvement did not go unnoticed. She received the

[[Page E1812]]

Marin Green Award and the Peter Behr Lifetime Achievement Award from 
the MCL, and was recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for her 
contributions.
   One area she was especially passionate about was protecting the San 
Rafael shoreline. Along with serving on MCL's Bayfront Committee, she 
conducted monthly bird counts, organized work parties to remove 
invasive plants, and tested water salinity. In 2003, San Rafael 
recognized the efforts of her and her husband, John, who passed away in 
2001, with the creation of the Jean and John Starkweather Shoreline 
Park.
   Mrs. Starkweather's persistent advocacy to preserve natural spaces, 
wildlife, and wetlands in the North Bay are worthy of our thanks and 
admiration. It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to her 
today and express our deepest condolences to her sons David, Stephen, 
and Tim.

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