[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H386-H387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ALEX DIEKMANN PEAK DESIGNATION ACT OF 2017

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 117) to designate a mountain peak in the State of Montana as 
``Alex Diekmann Peak''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 117

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Alex Diekmann Peak 
     Designation Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF ALEX DIEKMANN PEAK, MONTANA.

       (a) In General.--The unnamed 9,765-foot peak located 2.2 
     miles west-northwest of Finger Mountain on the western 
     boundary of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Montana (UTM 
     coordinates Zone 12, 457966 E., 4982589 N.), shall be known 
     and designated as ``Alex Diekmann Peak''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, record, or other paper of the United States to the 
     peak described in subsection (a) shall be considered to be a 
     reference to ``Alex Diekmann Peak''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Gianforte) and the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa) 
each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H387]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Montana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Montana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Alex Diekmann Peak Designation Act of 2017, 
introduced by Senator Steve Daines from Montana, would designate an 
unnamed peak in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in my home State of Montana 
the Alex Diekmann Peak.
  Alex Diekmann was a renowned conservationist who lived in Bozeman, 
Montana. He dedicated his professional life to protecting the scenic 
resources of more than 50 district areas in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho 
and conserving more than 100,000 acres.
  Mr. Diekmann brought together communities, landowners, sportsmen, and 
the general public in his conservation efforts and contributed to the 
future of natural treasures, such as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, 
Glacier National Park, and the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem.
  Mr. Diekmann left a noteworthy impact on the preservation of natural 
wonders in and near the Madison Valley and Madison Range of Montana. 
This pristine area is home to majestic scenery, fishing, wildlife, and 
recreational opportunities that will remain conserved and accessible to 
the public thanks to Alex's diligent work.
  Mr. Diekmann lost his heroic battle with cancer on February 1, 2016, 
at the age of 52. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their two sons, 
Logan and Liam. He leaves a legacy of conservation across Montana and 
the northern Rockies that will continue to benefit the United States 
for generations to come.
  The designation of this unnamed peak in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in 
Montana will honor the life and legacy of Alex Diekmann. I thank Alex 
for his work on behalf of the American people and look forward to 
paying tribute to him by hiking Alex Diekmann Peak this coming summer 
with my wife and those of my children who can join us.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 117 designates a peak in the Beaverhead National 
Forest as the Alex Diekmann Peak.
  Alex Diekmann was a renowned conservationist who lived in Bozeman, 
Montana, not far from the Beaverhead National Forest and the peak that 
will soon bear his name.
  As a senior project manager for The Trust for Public Land, Mr. 
Diekmann dedicated his professional life to protecting the natural and 
scenic resources of the northern Rockies. His conservation legacy is 
apparent throughout Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, where he was directly 
involved in the conservation of more than 100,000 acres of public and 
private lands.
  At the age of 52, Mr. Diekmann lost a heroic battle with cancer on 
February 1, 2016. To honor his enduring legacy, this bill renames a 
peak in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in Montana as the Alex Diekmann 
Peak.
  This is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support its 
adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by encouraging my colleagues to 
vote in support of the naming of Alex Diekmann Peak in S. 117.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii for 
her help on this, and I would also urge my colleagues to vote for the 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 117, 
the Alex Diekmann Peak Designation Act. Although I didn't work with 
Alex Diekmann personally, I am very familiar with the work that the 
Trust for Public Land has done across the West, and I have been told of 
all of Alex's individual achievements in protecting important wildlife 
corridors, fly-fishing streams, and ecosystems across Montana and the 
Northern Rockies. He spent the better part of two decades making the 
American West better, protecting landscapes within the Greater 
Yellowstone Ecosystem and securing places for our children's children 
to enjoy. This legislation is a fitting memorial to Alex Diekmann's 
life and legacy, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 117.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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