[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING MARIE BIENKOWSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2025

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
contributions that Ms. Marie Bienkowski has made to our community 
through her volunteerism as part of the Save Crystal River Board of 
Directors. She has helped forge a path to secure more than $50M in 
funding to meet the agency's original goal of restoring nearly 100 
acres of waterways by the City of Crystal River's 100th Year 
Anniversary on July 3, 2023. To date, more than 850 new spring vents 
have been opened, 107 plus acres have been cleaned of 680M plus pounds 
of lyngbya algae and detrital materials from the riverbeds, and 590,000 
plus eelgrass plants have been hand-planted. The native grasses provide 
a natural healthy habitat for fish, birds, and crabs, and are a source 
of nutrition for the manatees. Marie's generosity of her time, 
guidance, and commitment to educate elementary school children, 
business owners, and State of Florida leadership about the importance 
of clean water and environmental health, reflects her personal nature 
of resiliency as a resident of Crystal River. Like so many other 
residents, she has expenenced the hefty challenges of multiple 
hurricanes and tornadoes, and she has always come right back to lead 
the charge to make Florida and our spring systems one of the 
outstanding gems of the United States, not only for residents but also 
for the millions of visitors who come here every year to fish and swim 
with the manatees in Crystal River, the ``home of the manatees.'' In 
this year of our focus on resiliency, Marie embodies the very essence 
of resilience, and she is therefore a ``Hero Among Us'' for Save 
Crystal River.
  It is clear that Marie Bienkowski has made a profoundly positive 
impact on our community, and I am grateful for her service. May we all 
strive to serve our communities with the same dedication and humility.

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