Return to People behind the Eagles Profile of Sen. Jim Jeffords Sen. James Jeffords was born and raised in Rutland County, Vt., where he developed a deep appreciation of and concern for the environment. That concern has made Sen. Jeffords one of the U.S. Senate's leading environmentalists. He has fought to reduce industrial pollution and acid rain, and as a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he ensured the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act. More recently, Sen. Jeffords has introduced legislation that would clean up dirty Midwest power plants and create incentives for investments in clean, renewable power. His support for the Vermont Bald Eagle Restoration Initiative, securing funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's participation, is critical to the effort. "I look forward to the day when it is once again commonplace to see such a great creature soaring through the skies of Vermont, and this funding will go a long way to help achieve that," Jeffords said in announcing initial funding for the effort. Bald eagles have historically nested and thrived in Vermont, but have been absent, except as transients, since their near extinction in the 1960s. The Champlain and Connecticut River Valleys are ideal habitats, with remote nesting sites, abundant aquatic food supplies and ideal climatic conditions. "What animal more signifies what this country stands for than the bald eagle?" asked Jeffords. "The return of nesting bald eagles to Vermont will help complete one of the most remarkable environmental protection success stories in U.S. history. This project should remind us that we can reverse environmental damage. The Endangered Species Act and other environmental protection laws are bearing fruit." Sen. Jeffords was born in Rutland, Vt., on May 11, 1934, the son of the late Marion H. Jeffords and the late Olin M. Jeffords, former Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. His father's family settled in northwestern Vermont in 1794. After attending public schools in Rutland, Sen. Jeffords received his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1956 and his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1962. He served active duty with the U.S. Navy from 1956 to 1959, and retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Captain in 1990. He is married to Elizabeth Daley and has two children, Leonard and Laura. The Jeffords live in Shrewsbury, Vt. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974, Sen. Jeffords is now serving his third term as a U.S. Senator. Before arriving in Washington, he served as a Vermont State Senator from Rutland in 1967 to 1968, and held his first statewide office as Vermont Attorney General from 1969 to 1973. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Sen. Jeffords has championed legislation to strengthen our nation's education system and increase the opportunities for individuals with disabilities. He has left his fingerprints on every piece of education, job training, and disability legislation over the past quarter-century. In addition, Sen. Jeffords has been a leading advocate in Congress for environmental protection. Sen. Jeffords, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988, chaired the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee from 2001 to 2002 and currently serves as the Committee's Ranking Member. He also currently serves as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Special Committee on Aging, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which he chaired from 1997 to 2001. He was one of six founders of the Congressional Solar Coalition, and he served as Chairman of the House Environmental Study Conference from 1978 to 1979. In 2002, he received the Sierra Club's top honor. Terms of Use - Copyright 2007 Central Vermont Public Service Copyright photos CVPS, Floyd Scholz U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Web related issues || Site developed by Interactive Media Advertising