[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING CURTIS MARTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 11, 2013

  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend 
Curtis Martin for his life-long efforts to support agriculture and 
ranching, which are so important to jobs and the economy in rural 
Oregon. Over the past two years, Curtis has done a tremendous job 
serving as the president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association. As his 
term as president comes to an end, I'd like to take a moment to pay 
tribute to his leadership.
  Before and during his service as president of the Oregon Cattlemen's 
Association, Curtis served in several capacities locally to the benefit 
of farmers and ranchers. He has been a member of the Powder Basin 
Watershed Committee, a Director on the Union Soil and Water 
Conservation District and President of the Powder Valley Water Control 
District.
  During his tenure as Oregon Cattlemen's Association President, Curtis 
has worked tirelessly to represent Oregon's livestock industry across 
the state. During the summer of 2012, wildfires devastated over one 
million acres of rangeland and forest across Oregon, affecting many 
ranchers' livelihoods along the way. Curtis took the lead in 
coordinating a relief effort, helping raise over $200,000 in donations 
for ranchers who had lost cattle and pasture due to the fires. In a 
further response to the fires, Curtis established the Restore 
Everything Strategically Through Organized Response (RESTOR) Task 
Force, bringing together federal agencies, the State of Oregon, local 
governments and the Oregon congressional delegation to channel 
resources and assistance to affected livestock communities. RESTOR also 
put forth proactive solutions to reduce the frequency and intensity of 
wildfires, and improve government and community responses when fires 
occur. Federal agencies continue to work towards implementing several 
of the task force's recommendations.
  Curtis also led the Oregon Cattlemen's Association Oregon Habitat 
Monitoring Initiative, pulling together a diverse group of stakeholders 
from federal and state agencies, Oregon State University, private 
consultants and other industry groups to develop a cooperative 
monitoring standard for producers on the ground. This effort resulted 
in the current development of the Oregon Rangeland Monitoring Guide, so 
that livestock producers can easily monitor their pastures and 
supplement federal agency data supporting public land grazing 
allotments.
  Curtis was raised on a ranch in Vale, Oregon, on the far eastern edge 
of the state. After high school, he moved full time into the family's 
ranch operation, building fence, piping water and moving cattle on 
horseback. By 1978, Curtis had married his wife Cheryl and moved to 
North Powder, where Cheryl's family has roots back to the Oregon Trail 
pioneers who first settled the Baker Valley in the 1860s.
  In 1983, Curtis and Cheryl bought a ranch in North Powder, where they 
now center their ranching operation. Curtis has said that upon buying 
the property, it was so run down it was only suitable for producing 
``weeds and ground squirrels.'' Together, they turned their efforts to 
rehabilitating the property to a state fit for raising cattle and have 
been successful in their efforts. Curtis and Cheryl treasure their four 
sons and six grandchildren. They take great pride in their family ranch 
operation and in seeing yet another generation involved in the ranch 
and learning the lifestyle that means so much to them.
  I'd like to offer a special thank you to Curtis and Cheryl for their 
friendship and guidance over the years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Curtis 
Martin for his tireless dedication to agriculture and ranching in 
Oregon as president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association.

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