[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 31, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E505-E506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING PETER L. GOVE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 31, 2023

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Peter L. Gove. Peter will 
be recognized later this week by his colleagues, friends and family for 
more than 50 years of exceptional leadership to conserve Minnesota's 
environment, especially its rivers and national parks.
  Thanks in no small part to Peter's efforts, Minnesota's Fourth 
Congressional District has two incredible national parks to enjoy in 
our front and back yards--the Mississippi National River and Recreation 
Area (MNRRA) and the

[[Page E506]]

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Peter gets results the old-
fashioned way--by earning them--through tireless advocacy, vision and 
forging lasting relationships. When he sees a need for action, he 
doesn't just talk about it, he rolls up his sleeves and does something 
to protect cherished natural places for everyone.
  Peter's success at advocacy draws on his experience as former Chief 
of the National Park Service Office of Legislation in the Carter/
Mondale Administration and lead environmental staffer and later 
Commissioner for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency under former 
Governor Wendell Anderson. He worked closely with the late Congressman 
Vento and late Senator Durenberger to secure passage of legislation 
designating MNRRA as a national park in Congress in 1988. He was 
appointed the first chairman of the Mississippi River Commission by the 
Secretary of the Interior to develop a comprehensive plan for MNRRA and 
founded Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR in 1993 and remains on 
its board.
  Later, he worked with former Vice President Walter Mondale to expand 
the St. Croix River Association. He is an outspoken supporter of 
protecting Mid west national parks from ever present development 
pressures, particularly when they threaten the water resources and 
scenic beauty of our national parks.
  After his effective service in the public sector, Peter had an 
equally distinguished career as an executive for two Minnesota tech 
companies, St. Jude Medical, Inc. and Control Data Corporation, before 
retiring in 2005. Throughout his various roles, he remains engaged in 
the community and in protecting our special natural places.
  Peter served as past chair of the St. Croix River Association Board, 
Trust for Public Land Minnesota Advisory Board, and the National Park 
Conservation Association Upper Midwest Regional Council. He is also a 
Trustee of Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin and chair of the 
Episcopal Homes of Minnesota Board.
  His ongoing work for protection of resources and increased federal 
funding for parks, has earned him numerous and well-deserved honors, 
including NPCA's Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award, Wild Rivers 
Conservancy's Nelson-Mondale Legacy Award, and the Department of the 
Interior Public Service award in 1995 from then-Secretary of Interior 
Babbitt.
  It has been a privilege to call Peter a trusted ally, advisor, and 
friend throughout my service in Congress. I have always found him to be 
a knowledgeable and passionate advocate for the issues he cares about, 
and I look forward to joining Peter and family later this week at an 
event to honor his decades of extraordinary public service.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in this well-deserved tribute to Peter. I 
wish him, his wife Mary, and his children and grandchildren all the 
best.

                          ____________________