[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 168 (Wednesday, October 23, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8393-H8394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REMEMBERING ASSISTANT CHIEF CHRISTIAN JOHNSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Newhouse) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and service 
of Assistant Fire Chief Christian Johnson of Okanogan County Fire 
District 3. Chief Johnson recently passed away due to injuries he 
sustained while fighting the Spring Coulee fire in north central 
Washington last September.
  Mr. Speaker, Chief Johnson is an American hero. He served our country 
honorably, retiring from the Army after 22 years before joining the 
fire department nearly 20 years ago to serve his local community. His 
wife, Pam, described him as selfless, kind, and always ready to help 
someone in need. He was well-known and well-loved in Okanogan County, 
which is clear from the community's outpouring of support in recent 
weeks.
  I encourage all in north central Washington to pay their respects at 
Chief Johnson's memorial this Thursday, October 24, at 1 p.m. at the 
Okanogan County Fairgrounds.
  My deepest condolences go out to Pam and the Johnson family. The 
people of central Washington are eternally grateful for his selfless 
service to protect our communities.
  Chief Johnson, may you rest in peace.


      A Renewed Vision for Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers

  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud and thank the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service for their recent 
announcement renewing their commitment and vision to the Job Corps 
Civilian Conservation Center program.
  Operated by the USDA and the Forest Service, Job Corps Civilian 
Conservation Centers, or CCCs, serve rural communities across the 
country by training the next generation of America's workforce to carry 
out a unique

[[Page H8394]]

and particularly important mission: conserving our Federal lands, 
mitigating fire threats, and suppressing active wildfires.
  My central Washington district is home to two of these centers: 
Columbia Basin in Moses Lake and Fort Simcoe in White Swan. At these 
centers, students learn hands-on skills that they utilize to expand 
public access to Federal lands, improve campsites in national forests 
throughout Washington State, and serve as impactful stewards of our 
environment.
  I have strongly supported and defended Job Corps Civilian 
Conservation Centers because I have witnessed firsthand how these 
programs act as catalysts for the young people I represent, giving them 
a chance to give back to their community while learning life-changing 
skills.

  I was sincerely grateful to Secretary Perdue for committing to work 
with me and my colleagues in Congress to help improve CCC programs 
across the country instead of transferring operations to the Department 
of Labor earlier this year. Now, with this recent announcement, 
Secretary Perdue has followed through on his word.
  Under the Secretary's direction, Forest Service Chief Vicki 
Christiansen announced a recommitment to Job Corps CCC students by 
realigning the mission of these centers with the Forest Service's own 
motto, which is ``Caring for the Land and Serving People.''
  The U.S. Forest Service is uniquely qualified to administer Civilian 
Conservation Centers, which play a critical role throughout the United 
States and go above and beyond traditional Job Corps programs. Under 
this new vision, these specialized Job Corps programs will better 
prepare both urban and rural youth to become the next generation of 
responsible land managers.
  The Forest Service has committed to revamp the CCC's curriculum to 
meet the needs of Forest Service regions across the United States. 
Focusing on regional performance targets will allow the agency to 
increase student learning opportunities while making much-needed 
improvements to forest conditions. By strengthening the alumni network 
and supporting a pipeline between CCCs and the Forest Service, these 
centers can focus on jobs in forestry, firefighting, and conservation, 
which are all critical careers throughout the rural West.
  In the words of Chief Christiansen: ``Our Job Corps faculty and 
students embody the Forest Service values of service, interdependence, 
conservation, diversity, and safety.''
  As I have seen firsthand, these students and our public lands deserve 
this investment.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I thank Secretary Sonny Perdue and Chief Vicki 
Christiansen for their commitment to rural America, our national lands, 
and the students of the Civilian Conservation Centers.

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