[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 65 (Monday, April 15, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CELEBRATING THE DEDICATION OF THE HOBE SOUND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 
                     IN HONOR OF NATHANIEL P. REED

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 2019

  Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication 
of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in honor of the late 
Nathaniel P. Reed. Nathaniel, who was known as Nat, was an 
enviromnentalist and champion of Florida's environment. He served as 
Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks at the United States 
Department of the Interior from 1971 to 1977, under President Richard 
Nixon and President Gerald Ford. Furthermore, had it not been for 
Nathaniel, our nation would be without the Marine Mammals Protection 
Act, the intact and expanded Redwoods National Park, the Endangered 
Species Act and the Clean Water Act.
  Originally born in New York City, Nathaniel spent much of his time 
growing up in Hobe Sound, Florida. His concern for the environment 
developed from his firsthand experience with the threat of 
overpopulation to Florida's natural landscape and by the example of his 
mother, who was a lead organizer in opposing the development of a theme 
park on an island near their home.
  Nathaniel started his career in the family real estate and hotel 
business in Florida, where his concern for the environment steered him 
into public service. He went on to serve six Florida governors.
  He was a member of many environmental advocacy groups, most notably 
the 1000 Friends of Florida, an organization which he founded, and 
served as president and chairman. He also served on the boards of the 
Everglades Foundation (which he helped found), the Nature Conservancy, 
the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, 
the National Audubon Society, Yellowstone National Park, the National 
Geographic Society, and the South Florida Water Management District. 
Throughout his career, he was one of the most eloquent and effective 
advocates for fish, wildlife and nature of the 20th and 21st centuries.
  The Hobe Sound National Wildlife refuge is a part of the United 
States National Wildlife Refuge system, and is the type of vulnerable 
land Nathaniel dedicated his life to protecting. The newly named 
Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge will rightly 
honor his life's work.
  Madam Speaker, Nathaniel was a powerhouse of Florida politics, but 
more than that, he was a dear friend and a mentor to me, as well as to 
countless others. During his six decades of activism, he was a tireless 
crusader for the environment and the Everglades. Nathaniel inspired 
generations of conservationists, and what he did for America's River of 
Grass is immeasurable. Hobe Sound represents the starting place of 
Nathaniel's love for our nation's environment, and this dedication of 
the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in his honor will allow his 
life and legacy to always endure.

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