[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 62 (Thursday, April 21, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF PARK RANGERS AT YOSEMITE 
                             NATIONAL PARK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 21, 2016

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the state and 
federal park rangers who have served Yosemite National Park over the 
last 150 years. Specifically, I rise to honor Mr. Galen Clark, the 
first appointed ``guardian'' (park ranger) of Yosemite in 1866.
   As the first ranger, Mr. Clark served 22 years while dedicating his 
life to protect and administer the nation's first great outdoors 
natural park at Yosemite. Since then, the park has served over 185 
million visitors.
   Set aside by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 with the express 
intent ``to be held for public use, resort, and recreation for all 
time,'' the Yosemite Valley is a national treasure that belongs to the 
American people in perpetuity.
   President Lincoln made this land available to the public by 
understanding and respecting the government's role ``of the people, by 
the people, and for the people,'' describing the philosophy behind the 
dedication of Yosemite.
   Today, the National Park Service administers more than 400 national 
parks throughout the United States by partnering with communities to 
preserve historical landmarks and create outdoor recreational places.
   The California Department of Parks and Recreation manages 280 parks, 
preserving some of the finest resources found in California.
   Ranger Clark served honorably as Yosemite's first park ranger, 
creating a prestigious fraternal order for those who have followed in 
his footsteps, embodying Thomas Jefferson's words: ``When a man assumes 
a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.''
   Recognition of Mr. Clark's appointment as the first park ranger is a 
momentous event, offering an opportunity to reflect, highlight, and 
honor the history and contribution of park staff over the last 150 
years.
   Mr. Speaker, Ranger Clark and all other park rangers who have 
committed their lives to the preservation of Yosemite National Park as 
a place of ``public use, resort, and recreation for all time'' deserve 
to be remembered for their service and dedication for ensuring public 
access and enjoyment of this extraordinary national treasure.

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