[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11280]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          TRIBUTE TO JOHN WADE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 20, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
environmental champion and respected leader--John Wade. On Thursday, 
May 17, 2001, John passed away from injuries he sustained from a fall 
during a hiking trip in the mountains of Colorado. He was 81. All those 
in Colorado who respect the natural world and our duties to the 
environment will greatly miss John and his passion for people and the 
landscape.
  John was a Presbyterian pastor and a university counselor. He had a 
pastorate in Utah and Colorado. During his time as a university 
counselor in Utah, he provided guidance to young men during the Vietnam 
War and organized the first Earth Day celebration on the University of 
Utah campus. After that, John returned to his native state of Colorado 
where he became director of the San Luis Valley Christian Community 
Services in Alamosa. He retired to Pueblo, Colorado in 1984 and later 
moved to Denver. But he never slowed down, not even in retirement.
  John carried his strong spirit of public service and his belief in 
the spiritual component of environmentalism into his retirement. He was 
the living embodiment of the connection between spiritual growth and 
caring and respect for the natural environment. He understood that 
these two concepts and ways of acting are complimentary and in fact 
work in concert. He made it his mission to help others understand this 
connection and take action to fulfill man's obligations to the natural 
world. As a result, he joined local Colorado chapters of the Sierra 
Club where he volunteered vast amounts of his time and energies. In so 
doing, he became a leader in conservation work for the Sierra Club in 
Colorado.
  John also was a member of the Presbyterians for Restoring Creation, a 
national group which, among other things, works to place environmental 
educators in each of the nation's 175 Presbyterian leadership groups. 
It was John's goal to see this accomplished. John himself described the 
importance of this goal, not only for Presbyterians but all faiths, 
when he said, ``Conservation is an integral part of Christian 
discipleship, and the scriptures teach us to both till and keep the 
earth.'' In keeping with these beliefs, John was also chair of the 
Colorado Council of Churches' Environmental Commission, which continues 
to help instill greater awareness of the preservation of the 
environment as a spiritual obligation in denominations throughout 
Colorado.
  In addition to his work with the Sierra Club and religious groups on 
environmental efforts, John's strong sense of civic responsibility was 
demonstrated in other ways. He was outspoken on social justice issues 
through his work on university campuses throughout the Southwest. He 
jointed marches for labor and human rights--especially as those issues 
arise in connection with the growing, interconnected global economy. He 
was concerned about urban sprawl and growth and its attendant impacts 
to the environment and communities. In addition, he served on a panel, 
created by Governor Roy Romer in 1994, to address issues related to the 
grazing of livestock on the federal public lands. His work here, along 
with the other members of the group, helped steer a new course on these 
issues and led to the successful creation of public advisory boards 
which provide input to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on resource 
management issues. He did all of this and more in retirement.
  Especially impressive was John's energy and vigor. He climbed 32 of 
Colorado's 54 fourteen thousand-foot peaks. He continued to hike, march 
and contribute right up until his unfortunate accident. His robust 
condition and positive outlook clearly helped shape his views and 
helped inspire many to join his causes.
  John died doing what he loved--enjoying the splendor and beauty of 
the natural world. His legacy rests with those who knew him, shared his 
beliefs and were influenced by his teachings, inspiration and 
leadership. In the heated debates over environmental polices and 
issues, the underlying--and overarching--principle of stewardship and 
our spiritual relationship to the Earth is too often overlooked. John 
understood this spiritual connection implicitly. He understood that the 
health, sustainability and stewardship of the environment not only 
sustains and enriches our lives, but brings us closer to our 
obligations under religious teaching to care for and not squander the 
natural bounty that has been entrusted unto us. John's life stands as a 
reminder that we cannot forget the importance of our place in the world 
and our obligations to it and to provide an enhanced environment for 
future generations to inherit.

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