[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MR. PAUL BONDERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 16, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. 
Paul Bonderson, President of the Ducks Unlimited (DU) conservation 
group, for his tireless commitment to educational and conservation 
initiatives in the State of California.
  Mr. Bonderson's passion for wildlife and the environment began early 
in life, accompanying his father and grandfather on early-morning duck 
hunting trips throughout his childhood. As he put it, ``I have always 
been an outdoor person. I have a great appreciation for the outdoors 
and am aware of how much it's been destroyed.'' A lifelong Californian, 
Mr. Bonderson graduated from Sacramento's Encina Preparatory High 
School before attending California Polytechnic State University in San 
Luis Obispo. He began working with Ducks Unlimited in 2000, and became 
the group's 43rd President in June 2015.
  From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Bonderson oversaw the acquisition of 2,500 
acres of land in Butte County. The land had previously been used for 
rice production, but Mr. Bonderson has restored the property to its 
natural habitat. Today, the property--known as Birdhaven Ranch--is home 
to thousands of ducks, and provides invaluable wetlands educational 
opportunities for local high school and college students. These 
conservation and education efforts are especially critical in 
California, which has lost over 95 percent of its historic wetlands. 
And as President of DU, he has set forth an admirably ambitious agenda: 
Mr. Bonderson hopes to raise $2 billion for waterfowl and wildlife 
conservation as part of the group's ``Rescue Our Wetlands--Banding 
Together for Waterfowl'' campaign.
  Mr. Bonderson has also helped lead efforts to restore North America's 
Boreal Forest. The forest, over one billion acres of pristine wildlife 
habitat, is home to 14 million ducks during breeding season, and is 
threatened by expanding energy, mining and agriculture sectors. In 
partnership with Pew Charitable Trusts, DU has permanently protected 
millions of acres of forest, aiming to eventually preserve at least 50 
percent of all Boreal territory on the continent.
  Mr. Speaker, Paul Bonderson has worked tirelessly to preserve our 
nation's natural beauty. His commendable efforts will ensure that our 
country's pristine lands will be enjoyed by future generations, and it 
is fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

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