[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 17 (Monday, January 28, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E99-E100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING PEGGY TURK BOYER

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. ANN KIRKPATRICK

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 28, 2019

  Mrs. KIRKPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Peggy Turk 
Boyer, Executive Director of the Intercultural Center for the Study of 
Deserts and Oceans (CEDO), a bi-national, non-profit organization whose 
mission is the protection of the marine life in the Northern Gulf of 
California region. She is retiring from her position in 2019 after 40 
years of service.
  Peggy has devoted her life to preserving the marine environment of 
the northern Gulf of California and the livelihoods of the people who 
live there. Her work started in 1980 in Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, 
when Peggy began managing a marine research field station with her 
husband. That field station grew into the headquarters of CEDO.
  Peggy recognized early on that the Gulf of California region is 
impacted by the social dynamics and conservation efforts on both sides 
of the border. This insight produced a governance structure for CEDO 
composed of two independent boards--one Mexican and one American--to 
share responsibility for finding resources, developing strategies and 
insuring the financial stability of the organization. Peggy has raised 
millions of dollars in Mexico and the United States from international 
foundations, government agencies, research contracts, individual 
donors, and events to support CEDO's work.
  CEDO has established trust with local fishing communities and the 
Mexican government. From developing fishing gear that reduces harmful 
by-catch to providing training on monitoring populations and 
regulations, CEDO has been in a partnership with fishermen and women, 
supporting local communities while also giving these communities the 
tools to make their livelihoods sustainable and environmentally 
responsible. CEDO's ongoing educational programs for children and 
adults, including natural history talks, ecotours, environmental 
contests, beach clean-ups, and a binational marine biology camp for 
youth, have helped develop a culture of environmental stewardship.
  Peggy's vision also included environmental protection. She served on 
the management planning committees for both the Upper Gulf of 
California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve and the Pinacate 
and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve. She was one of four 
individuals who were recognized by both the Mexican and U.S. Government 
for her invaluable contributions to the creation of these two Biosphere 
Reserves. Peggy and CEDO have received numerous awards on both sides of 
the border for their work in conservation, education, and tourism. Most 
recently, CEDO received first place among recipients of the first 
National Award for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture. The award was 
for CEDO's work in developing cooperative, grass-roots stewardship of 
the fishing communities of the Sonoran Corridor.
  Peggy Turk Boyer and CEDO have been agents for meaningful change, 
working tirelessly towards goals of conservation and protection for 
vulnerable communities both human and marine. We honor her life's work 
and her

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dedication. Her visionary ideas and many accomplishments have inspired 
us all.

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