[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNITION OF MARK MORSE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the public service 
of Mark Morse of Las Vegas, NV.
  Mark has served as field manager for the Bureau of Land Management's 
Las Vegas Field Office for the last 5 years. Serving as a field manager 
for any BLM office is a challenge, but nowhere are the competing 
demands of recreation and conservation, urban development and species 
preservation more pronounced than in southern Nevada.
  Some might throw up their hands in the face of such challenges, but 
Mark confronted them head on. He is respected by such diverse groups as 
local and county government officials, environmental organizations, and 
recreation advocates for balancing the needs of all who take an 
interest in our public lands.
  He has forged partnerships between the BLM and local organizations, 
including the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, Friends of Red 
Rock Canyon, the National Wild Horse Association, Master Gardeners, 
UNLV, and the Clark County School District. These partnerships have not 
only included the local community in the stewardship of our public 
lands; they have ensured that these lands are better cared for than 
they would be under only BLM supervision. Red Rock enthusiasts are 
improving the BLM's interpretation of Red Rock Canyon; students from a 
local high school are discovering the unique history of Tule Springs. 
It was Mark's vision that made these partnerships happen.
  We in Nevada's congressional delegation have also handed Mark his 
share of challenges. The Nevada BLM oversees an enormously successful 
program that disposes of Federal land in southern Nevada while using 
the proceeds to preserve Nevada's natural treasures. This program has 
made federal land agencies work together in ways that have no precedent 
in our country. Mark has helped create interagency teams that improve 
both the care of Federal lands and the efficiency of the agencies 
charged with that care. Without Mark's leadership, this program would 
not be such a success story.
  Mark has helped the Las Vegas Field Office adapt to the unique nature 
of managing Federal land in this growing urban setting. He is proud of 
his team, and he would say it has embraced change and achieved 
excellence. The BLM is not always a popular entity in Nevada, but 
Mark's accomplishments have greatly improved its reputation.
  Mark's retirement is the culmination of 39 years of service with the 
BLM in the West, including time in northern California and Colorado as 
well as Nevada. I wish Mark the best, and I hope I will have the 
privilege of working with him again in the future.

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