A TRIBUTE TO John Chafee A SENATOR FROM RHODE ISLAND.

The nation lost a leader and parks and recreation lost a true friend when U.S. Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island died on October 24 in Washington. He had a distinguished public career -- in the military, Rhode Island state legislature, three-term governor, secretary of the Navy, and four-term member of the United States Senate. "Senator Chafee has led us by example ... he set the highest possible standards for public service, environmentalism, and even politics, and he has consistently met those standards," observed Jan Reitsma, director of Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management at an event shortly before Chafee's death.

He was elected governor and senator as a Republican in a heavily Democratic state because of his vision, hard work, and ability to rise far above partisan politics. The respect and admiration held by his colleagues in Washington was apparent when President Clinton and U.S. senators from both parties attended his funeral in Providence.

John Chafee's public service objective was clear- improve the human condition-through affordable and comprehensive health care, improved housing, gun control, reduced smoking among youth, clean air and water initiatives, and the protection of open space, rivers and marshes. He championed accessibility and civil rights. He understood the human side of investment in public infrastructure. He accomplished an incredible legacy of progressive legislation, often absorbing severe criticism from his own political party. He approached his national public service, including the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, with one overriding goal: to achieve consensus and cooperation wherever and whenever possible.

John Chafee was a doer. He put a human "face" on legislation. He had an incredible ability to remove obstacles to deliver a project, and to secure funds to turn proposals into reality. He was an early advocate of linking bicycle trails, pathways, green-ways, and historic sites with interstate highways funded through gasoline taxes.

As governor, John Chafee supported acquisition of hundreds of key sites, conserving resources and providing recreation access through the states' Green Acres Program. Brenton Point and Colt state parks are representative of conservation successes during Chafee's terms of office. Both sites preserve prime waterfront on Narragansett Bay for the enjoyment of local, state and international users. Colt State Park offers opportunities for swimming, picnics and passive recreation and includes an important section of the East Bay bike path. The park also includes Bristol Town Beach, which offers swimming, a playground, soccer fields and skateboarding. Brenton Point is a former estate and U.S. Army battery at the mouth of Narragansett Bay facing the Atlantic Ocean. It hosts an annual Inter-national Kite Festival in the summer and in November was the site of a memorial service for families of victims of EgyptAir Flight 990.

Jurisdiction over the Federal Emergency Management Agency also fell to Senator Chafee's Environment and Public Works Committee. He aggressively protected FEMA's authority to restore public parks after disasters, and parks in Rhode Island and nationwide have been aided.

In August, 1991, for example, Hurricane Bob destroyed the infrastructure of the city of Easton's municipal oceanfront beach. With combined funding from the federal disaster relief program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and a city match, the $2.1 million restoration and renovation was completed in 1993. Bathhouses, snack bar and carousel were raised above the flood zone, and new facilities were designed to be more attractive and accessible.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund also benefited from John Chafee's continuing support, and his advocacy resulted in continuing benefit to the nation and to Rhode Island. The program aided King Park, for example, on scenic Newport's harbor. It is the largest municipal waterfront park in Rhode Island. A free public boat ramp and dinghy dock serve local and visiting boaters. There is a public beach, restrooms, softball fields and a playground. Private funds helped restore a historic bandstand, now the site of summer concerts and wedding ceremonies. Donation of park benches allows the public to watch the passing of sailboats, including original America's Cup 12 meter boats and passenger schooners with tourists enjoying the now clean Narragansett Bay.

Eisenhower Park in historic Washington Square in Newport is another LWCF project. Adjacent to the former historic capital of Rhode Island, the park contains a beautiful fountain, specimen trees and park benches which highlight this small patch of green. Washington Square was used recently by Steven Spielberg in the filming of Arnistad and filmmaking transformed the park to its early 1800's appearance with aid from Spielberg. Restoration of historic features will return much of the square to its original beauty. Transportation enhancement funds, championed by Chafee, will also aid this initiative.

John Chafee authored the Estuary Habitat Restoration Partnership Act, and helped apply it in Rhode Island. The act provides incentives for public and private entities to partner in comprehensive plans, strategies and implementation of projects. Restoration of 128-acre Galilee Salt Marsh and Bird Sanctuary, for example, brought together the expertise of several federal and state agencies and university staff to undertake the $2.6 million project. It received a national award for salt marsh restoration in 1999.

John Chafee's Senate committee authorized national transportation programs which resulted in enormous opportunities to improve public recreation and parks. Through this authority, Rhode Island's Perrotti Park in Newport will soon be the site of an intermodal transportation center linking municipal parking, bus station and waterfront park. Perrotti Park will be expanded to include capacity for water shuttles for commuters and tourists visiting New Port's famous Jazz Festival across Newport harbor, or landing craft from cruise ships visiting the city. The park will be enhanced by lighted walkways, benches, trees, restrooms and visitor information. This once heavily vandalized park will soon be a centerpiece of the harbor.

Preservation of the Plum Beach Lighthouse, a 100-year-old landmark in Narragansett Bay off the town of North Kingstown, is another example of Senator Chafee's work. He "cut through all the red tape to save a little piece of history" observed Shirley Silva, president of Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse. Decommissioned in t941, it took ten years to have the historic lighthouse transferred to the state and finally have the deed conveyed to the non-profit group. Through Senator Chafee's efforts, the project was awarded $500,000 to begin restoration of this "symbol of reliability, constancy, and guidance all significant to the heritage and character of the Ocean State," said Chafee shortly before his death.

Designation of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor stretching from northern Rhode Island through eastern Massachusetts was an initiative activity supported by John Chafee. National designation of the corridor has resulted in $12 million in federal matching funds to support economic development, preservation of historic sites, and recreation. Funds aided construction of a visitor center, signage, water access, and picnic sites and the Blackstone River Bikeway. Bob Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, called this initiative a "true community regeneration that affects both the river corridor and the valley's historic mill towns. The enhancements help us promote the area as an `ecotourism' destination." Purchase of a British canal boat, with major funding from private resources, is the council's latest endeavor.

Highlighting representative projects reflects both John Chafee's four decades of public service, his practical application of state and federal programs, and his deep belief in citizen involvement. He assured that the Newport Bridge, completed during his term as governor, would accommodate the tallest sailboats. His guidance determined that Plum Beach lighthouse would be appropriately restored and managed efficiently in the long term. John Chafee's public legacy transcends recreation, parks, heritage and the environment in the, larger sense. Jan Reitsma referring to Chafee in a Conservation Law Foundation award honoring the Senator observed: "Nobody doubts his integrity and effectiveness as a public servant. Nobody doubts that his leadership on environmental issues is driven by a deep and personal caring, to the point that even the harshest critics of environmental programs credit him for what he gets done. And thanks to him, even those of us who sometimes despair about politics, realize that political process is one of many tools and that it can and should be put to good use."

John Chafee's personal commitment to service and political acumen contributed greatly to public well-being.

BY SUSAN COOPER Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Newport, Rhode Island