[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 179 (Friday, November 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        RECOGNIZING ANN SWANSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN P. SARBANES

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 18, 2022

  Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with Congressman 
Bobby Scott and Congressman Rob Wittman, to recognize Ann Swanson as 
she retires as Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
  As Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission for more than 
34 years, Ms. Swanson has played a definitive role in the progress that 
the Bay has made, helping to ensure the renewal and restoration of the 
nation's largest estuary and the economic engine of the region.
  The Chesapeake Bay is a unique natural resource and national 
treasure, and because its watershed spans six states and the District 
of Columbia, protecting the Bay poses a distinct challenge and requires 
commitment and resources across state and party boundaries. In leading 
the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative authority which 
serves Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, Ms. Swanson has fostered 
bipartisan and multi-state coordination that has been integral to 
improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
  Through her tireless work with countless advocates, legislators and 
regulatory agencies on both the state and federal levels, Ms. Swanson 
has brokered deals and encouraged legislative action, funding 
allocations and regulation implementation that give due consideration 
to each region's unique cultural, financial and economic conditions. 
Under Ms. Swanson's leadership, the Chesapeake Bay Commission has 
addressed issues including agricultural runoff, fisheries management, 
water cleanliness, habitat restoration and public access.
  Ms. Swanson's dedication to and effectiveness in conserving the 
Chesapeake Bay has made her a well-respected figure in the 
environmental restoration community and beyond. Trained as a wildlife 
biologist and forest ecologist, she has been awarded honors such as 
Admiral of the Chesapeake by the State of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay 
Environmental Leadership Award from the Alliance for the Chesapeake 
Bay, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chesapeake Conservancy and 
an Honorary Doctor of Laws from her alma mater, the University of 
Vermont.
  As we approach the deadline for the 2025 Chesapeake Bay Goals, though 
work unquestionably remains to be done, Ann Swanson's legacy has laid a 
strong foundation upon which further restoration of the Chesapeake will 
be built. I commend Ann Swanson for her four decades of public service 
at the Chesapeake Bay Commission and wish her the best in the next 
chapter of her life. All of us in its watershed owe her a debt of 
gratitude for her tireless efforts to improve the Bay, recognizing that 
when the environment thrives, so do our communities.

                          ____________________