[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING WILLIAM HARTWIG ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

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                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 2006

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated 
public servant, William ``Bill'' Hartwig, on the occasion of his 
retirement from the United States Department of Interior. For the past 
few years Bill has been serving as Chief of the National Wildlife 
Refuge System.
  I first met Bill in 2000 when he was working as the Regional Director 
for the Midwest Region. Together we embarked on a project unprecedented 
in America's history: an international sanctuary for birds, plants, and 
animals of all kinds. Today, Detroit is blessed with the serene beauty 
of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. This 2,100-acre 
refuge provides Southeast Michigan citizens with a previously 
unimaginable opportunity to experience the magnificence of a lush 
habitat for hundreds of protected species close to home. To Bill's 
eternal credit, this remarkable project would never have been possible 
without his vision and powerful determination.
  Long before becoming one of the Nation's great conservationists, Bill 
was born in Riverside, CA. Recognizing his life's path early, he 
graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor's degree in 
outdoor recreation. Between WVU and receiving his master's degree in 
administration from George Washington University in 1976, Bill served 
in Vietnam where he received Army Commendation Medals and the Bronze 
Star.
  Bill began his work in the Department of the Interior in 1977. 
Through the course of his illustrious career there, his care for the 
environment and all its inhabitants touched an incredible variety of 
issues ranging from land management to migratory bird conservation. In 
1988 he received the Department's Meritorious Service Award and in 1990 
was named an ``Unusually Outstanding Employee.''
  Bill Hartwig is a great conservationist and his impact on this 
country is impressive and profound. I personally thank Bill for his 
invaluable help in creating the Detroit River International Wildlife 
Refuge, and I invite you Mr. Speaker, and all my colleagues, to join me 
in recognizing Bill for his dedication to the out-of-doors, to 
conservation, and for his long and distinguished career with the 
Department of the Interior.

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