[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1207-E1208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING ELIZABETH MARY BURKO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2016

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague, Representative 
Mike Thompson, rise today in memory of Elizabeth ``Liz'' Mary Burko who 
gave nearly thirty years of service to the California Department of 
Parks and Recreation, and whose career was recently commemorated by a 
bridge dedication in her name in Bodega Bay, California.

[[Page E1208]]

  Liz died tragically on Saturday, August 22, 2015 in Duncan Mills, 
California, cutting short a career dedicated to our state's public 
lands. Liz began her career as a volunteer interpreter at Ano Nuevo 
State Reserve and serving as a Park Aide. For half of her career, she 
worked as a ranger in several state parks including Lake Perris State 
Recreation Area and parks in the Santa Cruz District. Her strong 
leadership and deep commitment to parks was apparent. She was promoted 
to Supervising Ranger at Big Basin Redwoods State Park and then to 
Sector Superintendent in the North Coast Redwoods District. In 2007, 
she was promoted again to District Superintendent of the Sonoma-
Mendocino Coast District.
  As a leader, Liz was a mentor, helping to enhance her team's 
professional development. She had a deep commitment to protecting 
public lands and sharing nature with the public, and she was dedicated 
to the mission of the California State Parks: providing for the health, 
inspiration, and education of Californians while protecting the state's 
natural and cultural resources and creating opportunities for high-
quality recreation. She held this mission to heart and executed her 
duties with professionalism and respect. Her advocacy to keep parks 
open during state budget cuts is a testament to her passion and 
commitment.
  

  Liz fostered strong working relationships with nonprofits like 
LandPaths for assistance with management of the Willow Creek Addition 
to the Sonoma Coast State Park. She saw the great value in leveraging 
community resources for the benefit of parks and its users.
  She will be forever missed for her integrity, generosity, sense of 
humor, unmatched work ethic, and warm smile. Her love and devotion to 
parks will continue on in the many lives she has touched, the policies 
she has influenced while serving at the California Department of Parks 
and Recreation, and now the bridge dedication in her honor at the 
Bodega Bay Coastal Prairie that will be enjoyed by many visitors for 
years to come.
  It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to Liz today for her 
enduring legacy and express our deepest condolences to her family and 
friends.

                          ____________________