[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 68 (Thursday, May 17, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E821-E822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RETIREMENT OF LORETTA NEUMANN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today is the final day of federal 
service for Loretta Neumann. Since January, she has been a member of my 
staff, but that was only the latest way she has been involved with 
important questions of public policy.
  A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Loretta began her career in 
public service as a writer for the National Park Service, where she 
rose to become the Chief of the Branch of Internal Communications. Form 
that, she became very familiar with the entire National Park System and 
the many issues related to management of those lands and the other 
functions performed by the National Park Service.
  In 1973, Loretta began her Capital Hill career when she joined the 
staff of Representative John F. Seiberling of Ohio, who was a member of 
the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs as well as the Judiciary 
Committee. During the next four years, she was responsible for advising 
Representative Seiberling on all issues relating to energy, 
environmental protection, land conservation, and historic preservation. 
She played a key role in helping achieve enactment of the legislation 
that established the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in Ohio 
as well as important provisions of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act. She also was involved with development and enactment 
of the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Historic 
Preservation Act Amendments of 1976.
  In 1977, Loretta joined the professional staff of the Interior 
Committee, and remained with the Committee for 10 years.
  During that decade, she was instrumental in helping shape many 
important measures, including the Alaska National Interest Lands 
Conservation Act, the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, 
and the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980, as well 
as bills establishing new parks and protected areas such as the Harry S 
Truman National Historic Site and the Illinois and Michigan Canal 
National Heritage Corridor. Many of these measures were of particular 
importance to my father, Mo Udall, as well as to Representative 
Seiberling and other Members of the committee and the House.
  After that, Loretta next spent a number of years in the private 
sector. She built up her own consulting firm, CEHP Incorporated, which 
provided services in conservation, environmental protection and 
historic preservation. And she continued to be involved with many of 
the matters where she had gained expertise on Capital Hill, including 
the National Historic Preservation Act, the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act, the Abandoned Shipwrecks Act, and the 
Archeological Resources Protection Act.
  Among other things, she chaired the Four Corners Governors Conference 
that brought together agencies dealing with matters of importance to 
Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.
  Loretta returned to service with the Federal Government in 1998, as 
an employee of the Department of Transportation. She served as DOT's 
representative to and director of the American Heritage Rivers 
Interagency Task Force of the White House Council on Environmental 
Quality. She also worked on other special projects for the Secretary of 
Transportation in a number of areas, including tourism and 
transportation and cultural and heritage tourism.
  Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that last year's Presidential election 
did not have the result that I would have preferred. But for me there 
was at least one silver lining to that particular cloud--the change in 
Administrations gave me the opportunity to take advantage of Loretta's 
talents, at least for this brief period.
  As a member of my staff, Loretta has worked on a number of 
conservation issues, especially focused on the issue of urban sprawl, 
an issue of great concern to Colorado and other states faced with rapid 
increase in population growth. She helped craft a bill to direct the 
Council on Environmental Quality to do a study of urban sprawl and 
smart growth. Building on her extensive experience with historic 
preservation and cultural heritage, she also helped draft the Cultural 
Heritage Assistance Partnership Act, which I am introducing today.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleagues that while 
Loretta is retiring from federal service, she will continue to be 
involved with public policy. She will soon begin work as the Director 
of Leadership Development for the Natural Resources Council of America. 
I look forward to her continued contributions as I work with our 
colleagues in the Congress and the Administration to promote sound 
policies regarding our natural and cultural resources, the environment, 
and other matters.

[[Page E822]]



                          ____________________