[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MARTHA BOGLE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2005

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one who was 
an extraordinary force behind the recent designation of the Congaree 
Swamp National Monument as a National Park. When Martha Bogle came to 
this 22,200-acre National Parks Service site near Columbia, SC, in 
1995, about 50,000 people each year visited the old-growth bottomland 
hardwood forest that was designated a national monument. Today that 
figure has tripled and it is due in large measure to the hard work and 
dedication of Ms. Bogle.
  Upon her arrival, Ms. Bogle realized the majesty of the towering 
pines and giant hardwoods, but access to the facility was so poor that 
few visitors were enjoying these amazing vistas. As the new 
superintendent, Ms. Bogle looked for a cost-effective way the community 
could join in making this hidden jewel more accessible. Her tenacity 
paid off when she convinced the South Carolina National Guard to 
partner with the Parks Service in building a new entrance road and 
visitors center. The result was an award-winning, 12,000 square foot 
visitors center with wonderful educational tools and roads and parking 
lots that could better accommodate visitors. This was quite an 
aaccomplishment for Ms. Bogle's first foray as a park superintendent.
  Still her vision for the site was not complete. With improved 
facilities and access, Ms. Bogle embarked upon a campaign to turn the 
Congaree Swamp National Monument into a national park. This was an even 
greater undertaking because only 52 of the National Parks Service's 388 
sites were designated as national parks. Yet Ms. Bogle found allies in 
my former colleague, Senator Fritz Hollings, and myself, and we joined 
her and the many ``Friends of the Congaree'' in the fight to secure the 
designation. After some difficult days and lots of hard work on the 
part of Ms. Bogle and many others, on November 10, 2003, the President 
signed legislation that officially changed the Congaree Swamp National 
Monument into the Congaree National Park. In addition, we were able to 
include in the legislation, at Ms. Bogle's request, a 4,600-acre 
expansion of the site. As she departs, Ms. Bogle is working to acquire 
the additional property from willing sellers.
  Ms. Bogle's love of nature began in her childhood in a small 
Tennessee town. Upon her graduation from the University of Tennessee in 
Knoxville with a Bachelor's in Botany, Ms. Bogle wasted no time in 
securing a position with the National Parks Service. Her 26-year career 
has taken her to nine National Parks Service sites and one national 
wildlife refuge.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you, and my colleagues to join me today in 
thanking Martha Bogle for her tremendous contributions to the Congaree 
National Park, and wish her well as she leaves South Carolina to become 
assistant superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway. No matter where she 
serves in the National Park Service, Ms. Bogle brings an infectious joy 
in her surroundings and a commitment that will insure our Nation's 
natural treasures are preserved and protected for many generations to 
come.

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