[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E14-E15]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING MIKE BYRNE
______
HON. CLIFF BENTZ
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning along with Congressman
LaMalfa to honor a constituent for his decades of selfless advocacy on
behalf of his family, his community, and his fellow farmers and
ranchers.
Throughout a life of tireless work on his family's legacy cattle
ranch with origins reaching back to the founding decades of two states,
Mike Byrne has gone above and beyond at home in the Klamath Basin and
around the country to support his community and enhance the legacy
created by his family
Mr. Byrne's family first came to the Klamath Basin in the 1860's,
developing large-scale ranching operations on hundreds of thousands of
then unclaimed acres in Klamath County, Oregon, and Modoc County,
California. The family has a personal relationship with the Klamath
Project since its inception, as the initial holdings of Jesse Carr were
taken via eminent domain by the federal government for the construction
of the Clear Lake Reservoir after the Klamath Project was authorized in
1902. Remaining acres that once comprised the initial family holdings
are still grazed seasonally as an integral part of the summer cattle
operations under cooperative management with the U.S. Forest Service
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Mike's grandfather W.C. Dalton moved the family from Clear Lake to
the shore of the receding Tule Lake and was instrumental in building
the D Canal to bring water from Klamath Lake to that area. Dalton sold
virgin land to Czech immigrant families--many of whom still are
farming--who cleared and planted the area as water was initially
delivered and supported the founding of the town of Malin, Oregon.
Mike was born in 1951 to Bob and Betty Lou Byrne. He attended Newell
Elementary School and, like all his siblings, was sent on a train at 13
years old to boarding school in California. While attending Bellarmine
College Preparatory in San Jose, California, Mike met his wife Bev at a
sophomore mixer. We'd like to congratulate the two on the 50th wedding
anniversary they celebrated last year, and for their two grown children
Matt and Brianna--each of whom have two grade school boys and help on
the family ranch as well.
While attending University of California, Davis, Mike earned a degree
in animal science and returned home to help on the ranch any chance he
could. He moved home permanently in 1973 to work with his parents and
siblings, with his years of school representing the only time he lived
away from the ranch. At home, Mike's demonstration of leading by
example on the ranch have garnered many treasured long-term employees;
integral individuals he has supported and who have supported him for
decades.
Mike was happy working the ranch, but in the early 1980's, at the
urging of family friend and ranching industry leader Rob Flournoy, Mike
was encouraged to pursue what became decades of involvement,
volunteerism and support for the agricultural community on three key
fronts: supporting agricultural water supply and rights, sustaining
public lands grazing and supporting conservation as part of a working
agricultural business.
Mike initially became involved in the Modoc County Cattlemen's
Association, volunteered heavily, moved through all the officer chairs
and was named Cattleman of the Year in 1992. He continued his advocacy
at the California Cattleman's Association, serving as public lands
committee chairman (a position he likely held for longer than any other
in the organization's history) and Second Vice President from 1989
through 1991. He was also a long-time President of the California
Public Lands Council. Balancing his volunteer work with daily needs on
the ranch--including the fact that his father was confined to a
wheelchair--Mike chose not to accept the offer to move up further in
the organization at the time but remained heavily involved.
Mike was exceptionally involved in the fallout from the galvanizing
2001 Klamath water shut off. That event set off a frenzy of activity in
the community and Mike participated meaningfully and wholeheartedly,
taking dozens of trips to Washington, D.C.--where he was on a first
name basis with multiple cabinet secretaries and influenced countless
staffers of all political stripes with his unique, disarming sense of
humor, participating in countless tours and hearings with federal
officials and the media and acting as a principal organizer of The
Klamath Bucket Brigade. Mike knew the efforts made by so many at that
time were significant and meaningful and he was honored to play a role.
In addition to his role as an advocate during the water shut off,
Mike was deeply involved closer to home as Chairman of the Lava Beds
Resource Conservation District, which helped to quickly and efficiently
distribute relief funding to a reeling local farming community that was
suddenly not sure if they would ever farm again. Fortunately, the water
has come back on, but, unfortunately, efforts to secure real certainty
for the community continue to this day.
He later became deeply involved in the National Cattleman's Beef
Association, where he ascended to a national position as Policy
Chairman in 2004, and the national Public Lands Council, where he
served as President from 2004 to 2006. From those national positions he
represented cattle producers in all 50 states, but he always kept his
eye on the West and his heart in the Basin.
In addition to leadership roles and meetings, the Byrne family has
spent many days in the field demonstrating conservation leadership.
Mike and his brother Dan were recognized with the National Resources
Conservation Service's nationwide Excellence in Conservation Award in
2004 and the Society for Range Management with the Excellence in Range
Management award in 1998. They were also featured in two editions of
the conservation ranching publication, Grazing for Change. Mike was
proud to participate not for personal accolades, but to demonstrate to
a wide range of stakeholders the positive possibilities of successful
working landscape management and wildlife. Along those lines, he was
also very proud of his role in relocating and releasing breeding pairs
of sage grouse from Nevada to lekking areas near the original family
headquarters that are still grazed annually by the Byrne family.
Mike continues to selflessly attribute the success of his efforts to
being blessed with the right history, the right connections, and being
in the right place at the right time. Fair enough, but then we can all
count ourselves lucky that he took advantage.
While we see hundreds of committed advocates in my office each year,
there are two things that make Mike unique.
First is the longevity and breadth of his service. While many people
join a single organization and pass through leadership then retire,
Mike's willingness to remain involved in multiple organizations
providing counsel and support after his term as leader has ended is
truly remarkable. He remains Chairman of the local RCD and has just
recently completed many terms as board member at the Klamath Water
Users Association and the Public Lands Council.
Second is his willingness to stand back from the limelight and
deflect credit to others at all times while maintaining consistently
good, or if you know Mike very well, you might say great humor--even if
you don't quite get it. By being willing to work hard and support the
community in bringing diverse groups together without caring who got
the credit, Mike followed one of former President Ronald Reagan's
political rules and was able to accomplish much.
We thank Mike for his many efforts and his continued support to this
day and we stand with the community in saying we appreciate what he has
done and thank him for what he continues to do.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with my colleagues and the Nation,
my regard for an outstanding American.
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