[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15292]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO JOHN ``JACK'' BISCOE

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I pay tribute to a Maine champion 
for the wilderness and a strong proponent of protecting our natural 
world. John ``Jack'' Biscoe, who died last year on November 20, 
possessed a stirring passion for the uninterrupted forests of Maine, 
the mighty Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers, and the White Mountains which 
extend from Maine into New Hampshire.
  Jack's passion for the environment was not limited to Maine, and in 
fact extended to the breathtaking wilderness of Alaska. He first 
traveled to Alaska in the 1950s tagging salmon in the Aleutian Islands 
for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Subsequently, his involvement 
in the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill only spurred his 
engagement in wildlife conservation. At the end of his career, Jack was 
one of Maine's most renowned organizers behind protecting Alaska's 
wilderness, and he frequently reminded me that Mainers care about 
protecting the environment throughout the world.
  Upon his return to Maine, Jack's concern for wildlife was channeled 
through the Sierra Club, and other groups, of which he was an avid 
member, including the Alaska Wilderness League and the Alaska Coalition 
of Maine. Jack's zeal for environmental protection never waned and his 
vision for a better environment never faltered, and we will long 
remember him as an inspiration of what one person can contribute to the 
greater good. Jack's life and legacy were emblematic of Maine's deep 
commitment to retaining our quality of life, and I appreciate the 
effort that he provided on behalf of our Nation's wilderness.

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