Volume 153, No. 152 covering the of the 110th Congress (2007 - 2008) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IN HONOR OF MELVIN BELL LANE” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2085 on Oct. 9, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF MELVIN BELL LANE
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HON. SAM FARR
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a remarkable citizen, Mr. Melvin Bell Lane, who passed away in July at the age of 85. Mel and his brother Bill helped define Western living with their publications ``Sunset'' magazine and Sunset books. Mel was also well known as a philanthropist and was one of California's most prominent conservation leaders.
Mel Lane was born in Iowa, where his father sold advertising for
``Better Homes and Gardens'' magazine. When Mel was 6 years old, his family moved to California, where his father bought the 30-year-old
``Sunset'' magazine. It was then the on-board tourist magazine for the Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Limited.
During World War II, Mel and Bill both served in the Navy. After the war, the brothers went to work for the magazine, eventually becoming co-owners. Under their direction, ``Sunset'' magazine and its books on food, gardening, travel, and do-it-yourself became standards of the industry. It was said that ``Sunset's Western Garden Book'' was the most revered of its many publications, with well-thumbed copies found in nearly every nursery in the State.
In 1965, California Governor Pat Brown appointed Mel to be the first chairman of the newly created San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. This agency was successful in stopping developers from filling in the bay and paving over the wetlands. Later, Governor Ronald Reagan named him to be the first chairman of the California Coastal Commission, and Governor Jerry Brown re-appointed him. His attitude was that a healthy environment was crucial to a healthy economy. ``As soon as business tightens up, not only do we drop environmental controls but as a shot to the economy we drill for more oil and cut down trees,'' he said. ``These are a rip-off of the environment that can't be done indefinitely, so it's poor business.''
When Ronald Reagan was elected President, he asked Mel to come to Washington to direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but Mel was not one who enjoyed being in the public eye, and he declined. Mel also co-founded the Peninsula Open Space Trust, preserving nearly 60,000 acres to expand State and local parks.
Mel graduated from Stanford University in 1944, and as a trustee from 1981 to 1991, he was a strong supporter of the humanities and creative writing, and of course for environmental research and teaching. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, he worked to restore the damage that had been done to the campus, especially to the Memorial Church.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan Fletcher Lane; daughters Whitney Miller and Julie Lane Gay; his brother, L.W. ``Bill'' Lane; and four grandchildren.
Madam Speaker, I had the great pleasure of knowing Melvin Lane when he and my father worked together on the California Coastal Commission. He was a smart businessman, a dedicated environmentalist, well known yet humble; a man who always said ``Make my speech shorter.'' He had that unique ability to inspire confidence and loyalty from people with opposite points of view. He will be sorely missed.
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