[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 206 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING KIM FORREST

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 30, 2021

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Kim 
Forrest to commemorate her 45 years of service with the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
  Raised in Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula of California, Kim 
Forrest's youth was marked by adventure, spending her days exploring 
the vast biodiversity of the Pacific coast. Each summer, Kim and her 
parents would camp in the High Sierra where her appreciation of 
wildlife grew. Shortly after her college graduation from Utah State 
University, Kim's steadfast admiration of wildlife led her to join the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an entry level employee at Bear River 
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Later, Kim became acting Manager of 
Fish Springs NWR.
  After a brief stint at the Charles M. Russell NWR in Montana, Kim 
returned to her home state of California where she became the primary 
manager of the Merced NWR in the San Joaquin Valley. Subsequently, she 
became Deputy Project Leader at the Sacramento NWR, supervising a crew 
of equipment operators and biologists. Furthermore, Kim became project 
leader at the San Luis NWR complex, a wildlife refuge with an area of 
40,000 acres, establishing herself as a well-respected conservationist.
  Kim's contributions to California wildlife are plentiful, including 
the development and acquisition of riparian zones, the elimination of 
invasive plant species, and the recovery of the endangered Riparian 
Brush Rabbit. Kim's conservation efforts are continued through her work 
to connect wildlife corridors and protect the wildlife that remains in 
California's Central Valley. November 11th marks Kim's 45th anniversary 
of working for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
  Madam Speaker, it is evident that Kim Forrest has made an everlasting 
impact on Californian wildlife conservation efforts through years of 
dedicated service. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor 
her here today.

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