[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 172 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





HONORING THE MEMORY OF UNWAVERING ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE W. KENT BAILEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 2020

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to the 
memory of an unwavering environmental advocate, W. Kent Bailey. On any 
decision or issue that touched the natural environment of our beautiful 
Tampa Bay and surrounding area, Mr. Bailey was always there--steadfast. 
He came armed with science-based facts with an eye to the future. He 
understood how to convey his message in unconventional ways to directly 
convey the urgency, such as carrying a cardboard wave cutout to show 
how high water might rise by the end of the century. Mr. Bailey was a 
leader and a supporter of all causes big and small that impacted our 
environment.
  Born in Paris, Kentucky, Mr. Bailey moved to Tampa Bay in his early 
adulthood. By the time of his passing on Sept. 22, 2020 at age 69, he 
had spent more than 30 years in Florida. His love for sailing brought 
sea-level rise in Tampa Bay to his attention as he documented that the 
actual tide level was usually higher than the projected tide level. He 
became an expert on sea-level rise as well as outspoken about it to 
elected officials and its impact in the near future if left unabated. 
In 2010, after fighting for the preservation of nearly 13,000 acres of 
land in northeastern Hillsborough formerly known as Cone Ranch, he 
became a full-fledged member and leader of the Sierra Club, the largest 
grassroots environmental organization in the United States. Thanks to 
Mr. Bailey and the work of others, developers were forever blocked from 
acquiring Cone Ranch, which has become the largest undeveloped tract of 
land and has since been under restoration, slowly opening to the public 
for families and neighbors to enjoy for passive activities, such as 
hiking and horseback riding.
  Mr. Bailey owned and operated Bailey & Son Woodworking since 1972 but 
his calling was all-things environment. Mr. Bailey served as chair of 
the Tampa Bay Sierra Club for the past eight years, engaging and 
mobilizing thousands of members to protect our region and state's 
fragile, sensitive enviromnental lands. He overwhelmingly poured his 
time and energy in deeply studying climate science and preparing for 
the next public presentation or protest about it, building his ethos 
and all for the purpose of sustaining a more prosperous and equitable 
future for his 22 grandchildren and ours. He was an inspirational 
speaker and motivator, always leading by example and always giving 
credit to others and being a cheerleader for their contributions. He 
developed a strategy of using all angles to fight for our environment 
and affect state policies to promote preservation, whether it was 
organizing protests, writing letters to the editor or creative antics, 
such as purchasing stock from the local power company, Emera Inc., and 
traveling from Florida to Nova Scotia so he can vote at the 
shareholders meeting and in protest of expansion plans of a fracked gas 
facility in Tampa Bay.
  Mr. Bailey's legacy will live through his six children, grandchildren 
and wife, Cathy, who stood by him in his activism. Madam Speaker, our 
grateful and saddened Tampa Bay community also pledges to carry forward 
the work of Mr. Bailey. His formidable efforts and selfless devotion to 
making Tampa Bay and the rest of the United States a better place to 
live are unmatched and are worthy of recognition. On behalf of my 
neighbors in Tampa Bay, Florida, and citizens across the United States, 
I am proud to honor W. Kent Bailey for his lifelong dedication to the 
protection of the environment. His legacy as a tireless advocate will 
live on and inspire others in the community for many years to come.

                          ____________________