[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 22256-22257]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO NANCY NEIGHBOR RUSSELL

 Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize a great 
Oregonian, Nancy Neighbor Russell. Not long ago, Nancy woke up and 
demanded that her family take her to see the Columbia River Gorge. It 
was not an unusual request because Nancy has been a tireless and 
fearless defender of the gorge for more than a quarter century. The 
scenic beauty of the gorge was her passion and protecting it was her 
crusade.
  What made this trip different was that Nancy suffered from 
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, often referred to as ``Lou Gehrig's 
disease.'' Taking her to visit the place she loved most would not be 
easy. Her family hired an ambulance, placed Nancy in the back, and 
drove east from her home in Portland. Once there, Nancy saw her beloved 
gorge for the last time. On September 19, 2008, Nancy Neighbor Russell 
passed away.
  While she is gone, her legacy is not. No individual has had the 
lasting and profound impact on a Pacific Northwest's landscape as Nancy 
Russell has had on the Columbia River Gorge. In my hometown newspaper, 
The Oregonian reporter Katy Muldoon described her this way: ``a lion in 
conservation circles, a fearless but graceful negotiator, a dogged 
fundraiser, a mentor to young leaders and an inspiration to anyone who 
had the pleasure of hiking or hunting wildflowers with her on the 
grassy slopes above the Columbia River.''
  Anyone who has seen the Columbia River Gorge know that its steep 
cliffs, dramatic rock formations, and graceful waterfalls makes it one 
of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is the crown jewel of a 
Pacific Northwest landscape filled with a treasure trove of natural 
beauty. But it took someone like Nancy Russell to recognize that the 
gorge's beauty, drama, and gracefulness needed to be protected. She 
would devote the rest of her life to making sure it was.
  In the early 1980s, she founded the Friends of the Columbia Gorge and 
began an unprecedented effort that in 1986 resulted in passage of the 
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act. As Congressman of the 
Third Congressional District at the time, I was proud to stand with 
friends and allies to vote for this historic legislation. That act 
preserved the gorge while protecting the valuable orchards and 
agriculture lands and acting as a catalyst to the tourism and 
recreational values so important to the communities along the Columbia.
  But Nancy didn't stop there. She continued to push the Federal 
Government to purchase important pieces of property from willing 
sellers so that stunning views of the gorge would remain open to the 
public. She personally purchased more than 30 properties and donated 
them to the public so hikers could enjoy them for generations to come.
  Today, the Columbia Gorge faces issues that Nancy would have never 
contemplated three decades ago. Fortunately, Nancy Russell leaves 
behind what may be her greatest accomplishment--an organization with 
members who are inspired by her vision and determined to follow in her 
footsteps. The gorge may have lost an ardent supporter, but it has not 
lost support. I am confident that Nancy's children and grandchildren, 
her countless friends, and Oregon's and Washington's leaders

[[Page 22257]]

on both sides of the aisle will honor her by continuing to protect this 
great legacy.
  On those times when I return to Oregon and my flight takes me over 
the Columbia River Gorge, I will think of Nancy Russell and her last 
visit there. Knowing what I do about Nancy and all that she did for 
that beautiful area, it will be hard to think of anything else. I pay 
tribute to her life well-lived today and thank her and her family for 
all of her many, lasting accomplishments.

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