[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 106 (Monday, June 25, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE CAREER OF TOM MELIUS, MIDWEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE 
                UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 25, 2018

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tom Melius on the 
occasion of his retirement from the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service after nine years as the Midwest Regional Director. For more 
than 30 years of distinguished Federal service, Tom has been a leader 
who is always focused on the Service's mission to conserve, protect, 
and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the 
continuing benefit of the American people.
  As the Director of the Midwestern Region of the USFWS, Tom skillfully 
oversaw more than 1,000 people based at eight field offices, and an 
area encompassing 1.5 million acres of land in Minnesota, Iowa, 
Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. Tom also led 
the national effort to protect the monarch butterfly: the state insect 
of Minnesota and synonymous with the imagery of the great plains 
throughout the Midwest. Under his stewardship, the program became a 
national model for other pollinator and wildlife conservation programs.
  Prior to his posting in the Midwest Region, Tom oversaw the vast and 
rugged terrain of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska region and 
served as Assistant Director for External Affairs in the Washington, 
D.C., Office from 2003 to 2006. There he led the national programs for 
Public Engagement, Congressional and Legislative Affairs, and the 
office of Native American Liaison.
  Tom has also conducted substantive conservation for the Service while 
he was Assistant Director for Migratory Birds and State Programs. In 
this role he acted as the Service's representative on issues regarding 
the management and conservation of migratory birds and the 
implementation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and 
wetlands programs.
  In 2014, Tom was named one of four U.S. Commissioners on the Great 
Lakes Fishery Commission and advised the sea lamprey control program, 
which became one of the most successful invasive species programs in 
the history of international conservation. His efforts in guiding this 
program directly improved the health of the vast habitat and ecosystem 
that is the Great Lakes. In turn, he ensured that the lakes would 
remain healthy and true to their natural characteristics well into the 
future.
  Before joining the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tom served as a 
staff member on Capitol Hill, rising to a senior position on the U.S. 
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he 
crafted policy for fishery management with the National Marine 
Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard; and for coastal programs 
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He also 
advised the Committee on international conservation matters involving 
wildlife trade, marine mammals and endangered species. His thorough 
understanding of the legislative process has likely played a 
significant role in his ability to be an incredibly effective leader at 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  Tom Melius' career is exemplary of the impact that committed federal 
employees have on their work and the people who they serve. Mr. 
Speaker, please join me in celebrating the exceptional career of Tom 
Melius, a champion for the environment and the women and men of the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

                          ____________________