[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E113-E114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MICHAEL TOLLEFSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 21, 2009

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Michael 
Tollefson upon his retirement as the Superintendent of Yosemite 
National Park. After thirty-six years with the National Park Service, 
Superintendent Tollefson will be honored on Saturday, January 17, 2009 
at a party to be held at Curry Village Pavilion, in Yosemite National 
Park.
  Michael Tollefson was raised in Seattle, Washington and graduated 
from the University of Washington in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts 
degree in marketing and finance. He later returned to graduate school 
to study park management. As a young adult he served in the United 
States Army Reserves for eight years, attaining the rank of Captain. 
His introduction into the National Park Service began early in his 
career. Mr. Tollefson served as the Chief of Interpretation at Virgin 
Islands National Park. He also spent time as the Chief of Operations at 
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, as a District Ranger at Denali 
National Park and Park Ranger at Katmai National Park all in Alaska. 
His time in Alaska provided unique challenges in dealing with Alaskan 
brown bears, fragile coral reefs and endangered humpback whales. He 
officially began his National Park Service career as a seasonal ranger 
at North Cascades National Park in 1972.
  In 1983, Mr. Tollefson attained his first superintendency position at 
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. He managed the 3.3 
million acre park for four years. While there, he implemented 
regulations guiding cruise ship operations in the park for the 
protection of the Humpback Whales. After four years, he became the 
Associate Regional Director for Operations in the National Park 
Service's former Pacific Northwest Region. He was stationed in Seattle 
and provided support for all aspects of operations to the twenty 
national park units in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
  In 1995, Superintendent Tollefson moved to Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
National Parks in California's Southern Sierra Nevada. During his 
tenure, he was responsible for guiding the restoration of over two 
hundred acres in the Giant Forest Sequoia Grove to protect the

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world's largest organism, the Giant Sequoia Tree. The project involved 
the removal of over two hundred buildings, and the development of a new 
hotel complex built outside the grove to replace the visitor 
facilities. After completing the project, he then served as 
superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the largest 
federally protected mountain ecosystem in the Eastern United States, 
spanning between Tennessee and North Carolina. The primary issues 
emphasized during his tenure included air quality, traffic congestion, 
educational programs and scientific studies.
  In January 2003, Superintendent Tollefson made his way to Yosemite 
National Park as Superintendent. Over the past six years he has worked 
tirelessly to guide a major construction program to repair the old 
infrastructure, improve visitor services, provide increased resource 
protection and expand gateway partnerships and outreach educational 
programs. Some of the projects that have been completed under 
Supervisor Tollefson include new viewing facilities at the foot of 
Yosemite Falls, improvements to landmark areas such as the famous view 
spots near the Wawona Tunnel and at Olmsted Point on the Tioga Road, 
overhauling the valley visitor center, and replacing a fleet of diesel 
buses with hybrid busses. With the assistance of the Yosemite Fund, the 
Superintendent has been able to complete a $13.5 million restoration of 
the approach to Yosemite Falls, a $1.5 million restoration of Olmsted 
Point and a $13.5 million campaign to improve trails in Yosemite 
Valley, Mariposa Grove of Redwoods and in the backcountry. Most 
recently the $3.2 million Tunnel View Restoration Project was 
completed.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate 
Superintendent Michael Tollefson upon his retirement from Yosemite 
National Park. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing 
Superintendent Tollefson many years of continued success.

                          ____________________