[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3370-S3371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. STEPHEN W. KRESS

 Mr. KING. Mr. President, today, I wish to recognize the 
outstanding career of Dr. Stephen Kress and his contributions to the 
restoration of seabird colonies in Maine and around the globe. For over 
50 years, Dr. Kress has dedicated his life to preserving and 
reestablishing seabird colonies that had previously been decimated by 
hunting. His perseverance has been a driving force in the repopulation 
of Maine puffin colonies and various other seabird species throughout 
the world.
  Dr. Kress's restoration of seabird populations began in 1969 when he 
started with the National Audubon Society's Hog Island Education Camp 
on the coast of Maine. It was there that he learned of the devastation 
the Atlantic Puffin had experienced at the hands of hunters. In 1973 
Dr. Kress launched Project Puffin, a novel approach to translocate 
puffin chicks from a colony at Great Island, Newfoundland, to

[[Page S3371]]

Eastern Egg Rock in Maine. In the early years of Project Puffin, Dr. 
Kress hand-raised the chicks until they were fledglings. Under his 
leadership, the project grew to incorporate Seal Island National 
Wildlife Refuge in Maine, and he oversaw the translocation of over 
1,000 puffin chicks over the next decade to both islands.
  These efforts were an immediate success, but attracting the 
fledglings back to the island to nest proved difficult. Through trial 
and error, Dr. Kress discovered and adopted innovative practices using 
vocalization playback, decoys, and mirrors to attract the migrating 
birds to return to the island. These methods are now known collectively 
as social attraction and are employed by ornithological experts 
internationally.
  Dr. Kress later applied social attraction techniques to seabird 
restoration projects across the globe, leading the way for the 
successful rehabilitation of colonies in Hawaii, Bermuda, Japan, China, 
and Taiwan. As of 2012, 128 seabird restoration projects had utilized 
social attraction and chick translocation techniques, for the benefit 
of nearly 50 species at locations in 14 countries. His work transformed 
ornithological conservation and preserved numerous species of 
endangered coastal birds, redefining the possibilities for seabird 
conservation. These projects are a testament to Dr. Kress's commitment 
to conservation, the environment, and ornithology.
  Dr. Kress's research opened new doors for conservation and his 
contributions to the scientific community have saved countless seabird 
colonies. As a result of his work, Maine islands are now home to some 
of the largest and most diverse seabird populations in the Gulf of 
Maine. His legacy will live on in the hundreds of people he has 
mentored during his career and the seabird populations our State is 
home to. I join with the people of Maine in commending Dr. Kress for 
his extraordinary efforts to preserve and cultivate our State's 
wildlife.

                          ____________________