[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 30, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING MIA MONROE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 30, 2024

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mia Monroe 
upon her retirement from the National Park Service after 50 years of 
extraordinary public service.
  A Bay Area native, Mia grew up in San Carlos, in a family that valued 
connections to the natural world and encouraged exploration from the 
beach and the redwoods to their garden at home. Mia absorbed this 
appreciation of the environment, organizing the original Earth Day at 
her high school and creating the first recycling center in San Carlos 
in her family's basement. While pursuing her undergraduate degree at 
the University of California, Berkeley, Mia signed up to volunteer with 
the Sierra Club and met Amy Meyer, a legendary Bay Area environmental 
advocate who was leading the effort to protect the Golden Gate area by 
turning it into a national park. Amy became a mentor to Mia and the two 
would become lifelong friends with a shared passion for environmental 
stewardship.
  In 1972, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) was 
successfully established. Shortly thereafter, Mia began leading student 
trips to the park as part of her work for the San Francisco School 
District where she taught students about science through outdoor 
education. When this program ended, she was recruited by the GGNRA in 
1978 to become a park ranger. Her first assignment was at Fort Point 
coordinating youth environmental education programs. Her supervisor, 
aware of Mia's background in forestry, suggested she trade posts with a 
Muir Woods ranger who was interested in military history. A better fit 
for both, the trade became permanent, and Mia formally began her career 
at Muir Woods in 1982.
  Mia was stationed at the Muir Woods Redwood Creek Watershed for over 
40 years. During that time, she held a variety of positions and led 
innumerable projects to restore and protect the local ecosystem and 
connect countless visitors, traveling from across the globe, to the 
natural environment. In addition to her service with the National Park 
Service, Mia is one of the founders and the lead coordinator of the 
Xerces Society's Western Monarch Count, which engages volunteers in 
collecting data on the overwintering monarch population on the Pacific 
coast. Her work has contributed to the rise in attention to critical 
monarch conservation efforts. She is also a member of the Steering 
Committee for One Tam, a cooperative environmental advocacy 
organization composed of the National Park Service, California State 
Parks, the Marin Municipal Water District, Marin County Parks, and 
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
  Mr. Speaker, I have personally worked with Mia Monroe for more than a 
decade on a diversity of critical issues affecting the GGNRA. Known for 
her forward thinking, deep knowledge of the local ecosystem, and 
welcoming demeanor, Mia leaves an indelible legacy on Muir Woods, the 
greater Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and all those visitors 
whom she has taught and inspired. I respectfully ask that you join me 
in expressing heartfelt gratitude to Mia for her generosity of spirit, 
innumerable good deeds, and in sending her best wishes on her next 
endeavors.

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