HONORING THE MEMORY OF UNWAVERING ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE W. KENT BAILEY; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 172
(Extensions of Remarks - October 02, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE MEMORY OF UNWAVERING ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE W. KENT BAILEY
______
HON. KATHY CASTOR
of florida
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 2, 2020
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to the
memory of an unwavering environmental advocate, W. Kent Bailey. On any
decision or issue that touched the natural environment of our beautiful
Tampa Bay and surrounding area, Mr. Bailey was always there--steadfast.
He came armed with science-based facts with an eye to the future. He
understood how to convey his message in unconventional ways to directly
convey the urgency, such as carrying a cardboard wave cutout to show
how high water might rise by the end of the century. Mr. Bailey was a
leader and a supporter of all causes big and small that impacted our
environment.
Born in Paris, Kentucky, Mr. Bailey moved to Tampa Bay in his early
adulthood. By the time of his passing on Sept. 22, 2020 at age 69, he
had spent more than 30 years in Florida. His love for sailing brought
sea-level rise in Tampa Bay to his attention as he documented that the
actual tide level was usually higher than the projected tide level. He
became an expert on sea-level rise as well as outspoken about it to
elected officials and its impact in the near future if left unabated.
In 2010, after fighting for the preservation of nearly 13,000 acres of
land in northeastern Hillsborough formerly known as Cone Ranch, he
became a full-fledged member and leader of the Sierra Club, the largest
grassroots environmental organization in the United States. Thanks to
Mr. Bailey and the work of others, developers were forever blocked from
acquiring Cone Ranch, which has become the largest undeveloped tract of
land and has since been under restoration, slowly opening to the public
for families and neighbors to enjoy for passive activities, such as
hiking and horseback riding.
Mr. Bailey owned and operated Bailey & Son Woodworking since 1972 but
his calling was all-things environment. Mr. Bailey served as chair of
the Tampa Bay Sierra Club for the past eight years, engaging and
mobilizing thousands of members to protect our region and state's
fragile, sensitive enviromnental lands. He overwhelmingly poured his
time and energy in deeply studying climate science and preparing for
the next public presentation or protest about it, building his ethos
and all for the purpose of sustaining a more prosperous and equitable
future for his 22 grandchildren and ours. He was an inspirational
speaker and motivator, always leading by example and always giving
credit to others and being a cheerleader for their contributions. He
developed a strategy of using all angles to fight for our environment
and affect state policies to promote preservation, whether it was
organizing protests, writing letters to the editor or creative antics,
such as purchasing stock from the local power company, Emera Inc., and
traveling from Florida to Nova Scotia so he can vote at the
shareholders meeting and in protest of expansion plans of a fracked gas
facility in Tampa Bay.
Mr. Bailey's legacy will live through his six children, grandchildren
and wife, Cathy, who stood by him in his activism. Madam Speaker, our
grateful and saddened Tampa Bay community also pledges to carry forward
the work of Mr. Bailey. His formidable efforts and selfless devotion to
making Tampa Bay and the rest of the United States a better place to
live are unmatched and are worthy of recognition. On behalf of my
neighbors in Tampa Bay, Florida, and citizens across the United States,
I am proud to honor W. Kent Bailey for his lifelong dedication to the
protection of the environment. His legacy as a tireless advocate will
live on and inspire others in the community for many years to come.
____________________