Vignette 292 > Peter Behr

Peter Behr was born in 1915. After graduating from Yale Law School he served five years in the Navy, finishing as a lieutenant commander.

In the 1950s, Peter Behr, his wife and their three children moved to Mill Valley. His early career as a lawyer led to establishing his own law firm. His political career began with membership on the city’s Planning Commission. This was followed by election to the Mil Valley City Council. In 1961 he represented Mill Valley as the District Three represenative on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. He was reelected in 1963 and 1967. A major accomplishment was to anchor a 3-2 Board majority supporting a 60,000-acre National Park at Point Reyes. He also led the local fight to secure adequate government funding for land acquisition in the park. In 1970 he was elected to the California state senate. Among his many achievements in Sacramento was authorship of the landmark Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1972. In 1978, he retired from the Senate and moved to Inverness Park. Until his death in 1997, he remained active in environmental issues.