[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 186 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9075-H9076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONGRESSMAN LESTER WOLFF OYSTER BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 263) to rename the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge as 
the Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 263

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge was created in 
     1968. It is located on the north shore of Long Island in 
     eastern Nassau County, is the largest refuge in the Long 
     Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and receives the 
     most public use of all the refuges in the Complex.
       (2) The State of New York designated Oyster Bay a 
     significant coastal fish and wildlife habitat. It is 
     especially important for wintering waterfowl such as black 
     duck, greater scaup, bufflehead, canvasback and long-tailed 
     ducks. Management activities include wetland restoration and 
     protection of the natural shoreline and vegetation.

[[Page H9076]]

       (3) The refuge is unique in consisting solely of bay bottom 
     and adjacent shoreline up to the mean high-tide mark. Ninety 
     percent of New York's commercial oyster harvest comes from 
     the refuge. Visitors enjoy fishing, wildlife observation, 
     photography and environmental education. The refuge is truly 
     a national treasure.
       (4) Many visitors are unaware that were it not for the 
     tireless work and advocacy of then-freshman Congressman 
     Lester Wolff, this area would today be an 8.5-mile causeway 
     and bridge across Long Island Sound between Oyster Bay and 
     Rye, New York, connecting Nassau and Westchester Counties.
       (5) The bridge was first proposed by Robert Moses, the 
     well-known New York City Planner, to divert traffic from New 
     York City. Former Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed into law 
     legislation creating the bridge authorized by the New York 
     State Legislature in 1967.
       (6) Congressman Wolff, elected in 1964, quickly decided the 
     bridge would be an intrusion in a pristine area, and that 
     Long Island Sound was a very precious resource that was 
     despoiled. The conservation threats in the mid-1960s were 
     suburban development, wetland filling, and industrial 
     pollution. The fight to preserve this land became an enormous 
     political fight and is considered to be a turning point in 
     New York State's environmental legacy.
       (7) With State and local political and community leaders, 
     and especially the North Shore leaders and the Committee to 
     Save the Long Island Sound, Congressman Wolff arranged a 
     meeting with Department of the Interior representatives and 
     local leaders where the idea of creating a wildlife refuge 
     from municipal and privately owned wetlands was created.
       (8) The Town of Oyster Bay, in which one end of the bridge 
     was to be located, deeded 5,000 acres of wetlands to the 
     United States to be maintained as a Federal wildlife 
     preserve. It was stipulated that if the Department of the 
     Interior agreed to an intrusion of the property, it would 
     revert to the town. Creating a Federal wildlife preserve 
     provided the land with Federal protection.
       (9) Because of the vision, dedication, and perseverance of 
     Congressman Lester Wolff, all of us and future generations 
     can enjoy the beauty and magnificence of this refuge.

     SEC. 2. RENAMING THE OYSTER BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AS 
                   THE CONGRESSMAN LESTER WOLFF OYSTER BAY 
                   NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

       (a) Renaming.--The unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System known as the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge and 
     located near Oyster Bay, New York, shall be known as the 
     ``Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay National Wildlife 
     Refuge''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System known as the 
     Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge is deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay 
     National Wildlife Refuge''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Huffman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McClintock) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill would rename the Oyster Bay National Wildlife 
Refuge in New York as the Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay National 
Wildlife Refuge.
  A long-time Congressman from Long Island, Congressman Wolff was 
instrumental in creating this refuge and protecting it from unnecessary 
development. Thanks to his hard work and vision, the Oyster Bay refuge 
is an important stopover for wintering waterfowl, and it is also a 
popular destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
  At 100 years old, Congressman Wolff is the oldest living Member of 
Congress. This bill is a fitting tribute to him for his years of 
conservation leadership, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as my friend said, this bill renames the Oyster Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge in honor of Congressman Lester Wolff, former 
Long Island-North Shore Congressman.
  It is certainly appropriate to recognize and honor Congressman 
Wolff's distinguished eight-term career representing the people of New 
York by adding his name to the wildlife refuge that he fought so hard 
to create.
  This refuge has become a popular destination for many Americans to 
enjoy the wildlife and beauty of our outdoor spaces, and, at 100 years 
of age, Congressman Wolff has the distinction of being the oldest 
living former Member of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, it is most fitting we honor a man so dedicated and who 
has put so much of his life into fighting to protect and conserve this 
place and fighting for his constituency. I urge adoption of the 
measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Suozzi), who is the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Huffman for allowing me this 
time.
  I rise today in support of this bill that I have sponsored, a 
bipartisan bill, H.R. 263, which, as has been mentioned, would rename 
the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff 
Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Grijalva. I want to thank, 
again, Congressman Huffman and my colleagues on the Natural Resources 
Committee for their work on this bill, as well as the members of the 
New York delegation, all of whom are cosponsors of and support this 
legislation.
  Congressman Lester Wolff, who represented my district for 16 years, 
is our Nation's oldest living former Congressman, and, in January, he 
will turn 101 years old.
  The renaming of the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge in his honor 
is in recognition of his monumental contributions to the preservation 
and protection of our environment.
  These precious wetlands, at Congressman Lester Wolff's urging, were 
protected in 1968. It was in 1967 that the New York State Legislature, 
at the insistence of then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller and the master 
planner, Robert Moses, authorized a bridge across the Long Island 
Sound.
  Lester immediately saw the bridge would despoil this pristine and 
precious resource of the Long Island Sound and soon found himself at 
the center of an enormous political fight. Lester eventually won this 
fight, and the Oyster Bay Wildlife Refuge was born. Today, it covers 
over 3,200 acres of one of the most important areas for natural refuge 
anywhere on the north shore of Long Island and is home to many 
endangered species.
  Not only was Lester a champion for our environment, he also served 
our Nation honorably in our military. Lester served in the Civil Air 
Patrol during World War II and commanded the Congressional Squadron of 
the Civil Air Patrol, rising to the rank of colonel.
  In 2014, Wolff received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest 
civilian award.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to also support this legislation so 
we may honor this great Congressman whose efforts were an important 
part of our Nation's environmental history.

                              {time}  1400

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask for adoption of the measure, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I will close by commending Representative 
Suozzi for his bipartisan initiative to honor the legacy of Congressman 
Lester Wolff. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 263.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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