[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 62 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING MRS. NICOLE VAN HELDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MIKE GALLAGHER

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 11, 2024

  Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
extraordinary leadership and contributions of Nicole Van Helden in 
safeguarding the land and water resources of Wisconsin's Eighth 
Congressional District.
  Throughout her career, Nicole has excelled at bringing partners 
together to produce results through shared conservation efforts. She 
played a key role in the growth of Save the Bay, an initiative to 
reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients leaving rural landscapes 
and entering tributaries. By facilitating conversations with leaders in 
a variety of sectors, Save the Bay hosted conversations on solutions to 
improve water quality and improve soil health. Nicole's leadership, 
vision, and ability to engage diverse groups were key to expanding Save 
the Bay's scope and objectives, identifying needs and gaps, and 
applying strategies to improve and expand conservation farming 
practices. Since 2015, Nicole has volunteered numerous hours planning 
and facilitating meetings for Save the Bay.
  Nicole has been involved in land conservation for her entire 
professional career. Shortly after receiving her Bachelor of Science in 
Zoology and Biological Aspects of Conservation from the University of 
Wisconsin-Madison, she joined The Nature Conservancy. Over the past 25 
years, she has continued to rise in the ranks at The Nature Conservancy 
(TNC) starting as assistant of land stewardship and land protection all 
the way to her current role as TNC's Director of Land Conservation. In 
this role, she leads conservation staff, projects, and partnerships 
focused on conserving and improving Wisconsin's resilient landscapes. 
This includes overseeing TNC's land protection and management work in 
Wisconsin and forging cooperative relationships with partners from 
various backgrounds. Her most recent projects include the evaluation of 
natural lands for inclusion as a National Estuarine Research Reserve, 
constructed treatment wetlands to capture agricultural runoff, stream 
and wetland restorations, improved fish passage for migratory Great 
Lakes fish, and priority-setting tools for conservation actions in the 
Green Bay watershed. During her career she also played a key role in 
the protection of St. Martin Island, which is now part of the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Services Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
  Nicole has clearly been a leader in multiple facets of her career. 
From being a founding co-chair of the Green Bay Conservation Partners 
to chairing the Site Evaluation Committee for the Bay of Green Bay 
National Estuarine Research Reserve. She is also active in her sons' 
Boy Scouts troop and volunteers on the Park, Recreation, and Forestry 
Committee for the Town of Ledgeview.
  Highly respected throughout the conservation community in my district 
and across Wisconsin, Nicole's extensive institutional knowledge has 
been an invaluable resource to me during my term in office, and her 
can-do spirit is an inspiration to all who know her.
  It has been my great privilege to work with Nicole during my term in 
Congress. I thank her for giving generously of her time and talents to 
advance the Save the Bay initiative, and I ask my colleagues to join me 
in applauding her unfailing dedication as a champion of conservation.

                          ____________________