[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN MEMORY OF ADAM KOLTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2021

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Adam 
Kolton, who passed away on April 26, 2021. A graduate of the University 
of Wisconsin, he lived in Bethesda, Maryland with his family and their 
dog, Riley. He is survived by two sons, 17-year-old Jacob and 14-year-
old Sam, as well as his wife, Laura; his parents, Chet and Carol; his 
sister Lisa; mother-in-law Priscilla; and brother-in-law Sandy.
  A tireless environmental advocate, Adam spent much of his career 
fighting oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife 
Refuge. At the beginning of his career, he oversaw a vital period as 
the Arctic Refuge Campaign Director at Alaska Wilderness League from 
1997 to 2002, spearheading the fight to block Congress and the Bush 
administration from opening the refuge's coastal plain to drilling. 
Following that, he spent 15 years at the National Wildlife Federation, 
eventually overseeing its 40-person Washington, D.C. office as Vice 
President of National Advocacy and leading staff in countless 
conservation wins, including another high-profile Arctic Refuge battle 
in 2005. In 2017, he returned to Alaska Wilderness League as its 
Executive Director and led the organization's work to protect Alaska's 
public lands and waters through the politically challenging years of 
the Trump administration. His passion for bringing people together to 
protect the Arctic Refuge was highlighted by his dedication to 
elevating the voices of impacted Indigenous communities like the 
Gwich'in.
  As a northern New Jersey native, Adam was an unapologetic fan of the 
New York Mets and the forever hapless New York Jets. Early in his life, 
he and a friend formed Sports Fans United--``the largest nonprofit fan 
advocacy group in the country''--and Adam even testified before 
Congress in a hearing on revoking baseball's longstanding exemption 
from antitrust laws.
  It is my honor to recognize Adam Kolton, an individual wholly 
dedicated to the protection of our nation's wildest places like the 
Arctic Refuge. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of 
this remarkable advocate for conservation.

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