[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 154 (Thursday, December 14, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11784-S11785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BRIAN KUEHL

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell to a 
key member of my staff, Brian Kuehl. I will deeply miss Brian, both 
professionally and personally.
  Brian has worked for me for four years, most recently as my 
Legislative Director, and before that as Acting Chief of Staff and as a 
senior Legislative Assistant. He gave his heart and soul to me, to his 
colleagues, and, most importantly, to the people of Montana. During 
this time, he has proven himself to be a consensus builder--a tireless 
professional who brings together people with diverse points of view and 
who solves problems in innovative ways. He is fair-minded, balanced, 
creative, and a leader in every sense of the word.
  Wallace Stegner defined himself as a citizen of the West. Brian fits 
that mold. Brian came to me from Bozeman, Montana. He attended law 
school in Colorado and has family roots in Utah and throughout the 
northwest. His wife is a fifth generation Wyoming native

[[Page S11785]]

and daughter of former Governor Mike Sullivan. In fact, they are moving 
to Sheridan, Wyoming, where they will soon have their first child.
  As a citizen of the West, Brian has chosen to tackle those issues 
that most often divide westerners--natural resources, energy, and the 
environment. Time and again, his ability to bring people together has 
demonstrated that the West need not be divided on these issues--that we 
can and must work together if we are to build a sustainable region with 
a society as inspiring as our landscape.
  Let me mention a few examples of the significant solutions that Brian 
has helped forge over the last four years.
  When Brian joined me in the spring of 1997, he had just helped broker 
a compromise among the White House, regional conservation 
organizations, and a large mining company, Battle Mountain Gold, that 
would conserve an area next to Cooke City, Montana, right on the 
doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. The proposed New World gold mine 
had been immensely controversial, with the project expected to generate 
millions of tons of acidic mine waste. Across the West, controversies 
such as this usually drag on endlessly, dividing communities and 
draining resources.
  Brian had worked closely with all the actors while he was in the non-
profit sector. His first task in my office was to help secure approval 
of this agreement in the Congress. In the end, Congress funded the 
public commitment and also agreed to invest funds to rehabilitate the 
Going-to-the-Sun Road to compensate local communities for lost economic 
opportunities.
  What a great start to Brian's tenure here.
  In 1997 and 1998, Brian helped me pass legislation to complete the 
final phase of the Gallatin II Land Exchange--one of the most complex 
and multifaceted land exchanges ever completed by the Forest Service. 
Brian worked tirelessly with all of the interests in this exchange--
sportsmen, conservationists, the snowmobile community, the timber 
industry, local ranchers, and local homeowners. Ultimately, the 
Gallatin II Land Exchange became law. We secured a tremendous resource 
for our children and grandchildren. And every interest concerned 
supported the compromises that Brian helped forge.
  In 1998, Brian helped me with legislation on another series of land 
exchanges near Helena, Montana, at the Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Working 
with the cabin owners and local sportsmen, Brian helped me create a 
novel arrangement that was supported by everyone involved.
  These are just a few illustrations of the many significant 
contributions Brian Kuehl has made to me and to the people of Montana. 
I thank Brian for those contributions. I thank him for serving as role 
model for the younger staff in my office. I thank him for his service 
as a key advisor to me.
  Albert Einstein once said, ``Try not to become a man of success, but 
rather try to become a man of value.'' Well, Brian has demonstrated 
both success and value over the past four years. I wish the best for 
Brian, his wife Michelle, and their soon to be born child.

                          ____________________