[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 175 (Monday, October 30, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S6875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TOM TROXEL

 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Tom Troxel 
for the many years of his career that he has dedicated to improving the 
ecological health of our national forests and for his service to the 
timber industry, which has strengthened the economic health of local 
communities.
  Tom has spent more than 40 years in the forestry industry, and he has 
mastered the art of promoting environmentally sound forest management 
practices while strongly supporting the timber industry. Tom has been a 
trusted source of reliable and accurate information throughout his 
career.
  He received his bachelor of science in forestry from the University 
of Montana in 1973. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho, 
Montana, and California, starting as a summer job in 1970 during 
college and continuing until 1989.
  Since 1989, Tom has been the executive director for the Intermountain 
Forest Association based in Rapid City, SD. During that time, he has 
worked with forest products companies in Colorado, South Dakota, and 
Wyoming and has played a critically important role in addressing issues 
related to national forest timber programs, including forest planning, 
project analyses, timber sale contracts, and legislative affairs.
  Tom has served as the executive director of the Black Hills Forest 
Resource Association, the executive director of the Colorado Timber 
Industry Association, and a member of the Forest Service's Forest 
Planning Advisory Committee. He has also served as the executive 
secretary of the Black Hills Regional Multiple Use Coalition for 25 
years and as a member of the board of directors for the Rapid City 
Chamber of Commerce.
  Those of us who have had the privilege of working with Tom over the 
years will miss the knowledge and expertise he has shared with us. Our 
forest landscapes and communities are better because of his work.
  I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Tom for his work on 
behalf of our forests, the timber industry, and local communities. As 
he retires from his very successful career, I wish him continued 
success and happiness in the years to come.

                          ____________________