[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          TRIBUTE TO GARY TATE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 1998

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gary Tate, 
an innovative leader and passionate advocate of the open spaces, 
parklands and the natural resources of Monterey Peninsula, Carmel 
Valley and the Big Sur Coast.
  Gary is retiring in July from his position as General Manager of the 
Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District after having served 
continuously for 25 years. First employed in June of 1973, soon after 
the District was formed, Gary was the only employee for 13 years. Fresh 
from the East Bay Regional Park District, Gary was only 29 years old 
when he was hired to manage an agency that did not exist. From an 
office that was 10 feet square, Gary set to work, seizing every 
opportunity to preserve open space and parklands.
  Garland Ranch was Gary's first purchase in 1975. The dedication of 
its opening was my first public role as a new Monterey County 
Supervisor. On that glorious day, Gary met me with a big white mare to 
ride the five miles to the dedication. It became a red, white and blue 
dedication: white was the horse, red was my bottom, and blue was my 
body.
  In the Park District's first quarter century under Gary's leadership, 
23 projects throughout the Monterey Peninsula have been completed, 
resulting in the acquisition and protection of more than 7,500 acres 
that include river and pond wetlands, redwood and Monterey Pine 
forests, coastal dunes and beaches, and a wide variety of cultural and 
historic resources. In addition to garnering the necessary funding for 
these projects, Gary has trained a corps of volunteers, developed a 
support organization ``Friends of the Park'' and hired and supervised 
new members of the staff, now eight in all. Gary has the high esteem of 
his peers and the environmental community, and has been commended by 
the Sierra Club for his outstanding public service.
  Some of the specific projects started and concluded by Gary include:
  Formation of the Joint Powers Agency with the cities of Monterey and 
Seaside to acquire and preserve the lake at Laguna Grande and develop a 
park there;
  Development of the regional Monterey Bay coastal trail;
  A decade-long effort to correct the Local Coastal Plan of Sand City, 
resulting in an agreement with Sand City and California State Parks to 
preserve 70 percent of Sand City's coastline as a state beach; and
  Acquisition of more than $5 million in grant funding from federal, 
state and private sources, to acquire and preserve open space parklands 
on the Monterey Peninsula.
  Gary and his wife Sheri will continue to live in Carmel Valley where 
they have raised two daughters, Carrie and Christen, Gary, never idle, 
will be renovating his home, supervising a youth center building 
project for his church, hiking in Garland Park, and going fishing. He 
will remain active with the Hatton Canyon Coalition, which is seeking 
alternatives to a proposed freeway project. Gary will always be a 
steward of the area he calls home.
  Gary himself has said ``My 25 years with the District have been a 
never-ending challenge and a very rewarding experience.'' However, 
Gary's spectacular success, achieved through his clear vision, single-
minded determination and energy, has made him our environmental hero. 
He has my very best wishes for continued health and happiness in his 
retirement. Gary Tate has left a special legacy that will be enjoyed by 
visitors and residents of the Monterey area in perpetuity.

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