[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 107 (Monday, June 23, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3490-S3491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SCOTT FITZWILLIAMS

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I rise to recognize Scott Fitzwilliams who 
recently retired after 15 years as forest supervisor of the White River 
National Forest and 34 years of service to the U.S. Forest Service.
  Scott led the most visited national forest in the country, covering 
more than 2 million acres. While supervising the White River, Scott 
balanced enormous visitor demand with thoughtful stewardship, earning 
the trust of communities across Colorado's mountains.
  Scott brought steady leadership to some of Colorado's most complex 
land management challenges. He managed the visitors at Hanging Lake and 
the Maroon Bells, navigated the first-ever partnership between the 
Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife at Sweetwater Lake, and 
helped communities recover from the Grizzly Creek and Lake Christine 
Fires.
  Scott was a critical source of guidance and expertise for my work. He 
helped ensure the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument was 
established with the care and coordination it deserved. On the Thompson 
Divide, he helped navigate intricate land-use and community concerns 
and oversaw the implementation of the 20-year mineral withdrawal.
  He also helped shape practical solutions for the housing crisis 
affecting mountain towns. His work identifying Forest Service sites 
suitable for workforce housing informed legislation that

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we passed in the 2018 farm bill and in the 2024 EXPLORE Act.
  When we wrote the SHRED Act, a bill designed to keep ski area fees 
local, Scott made clear why the legislation mattered, pointing to the 
daily challenges of managing a forest that supports more than a dozen 
ski areas and sees tens of millions of visitors each year.
  Throughout his career, Scott was a thoughtful partner and a trusted 
presence to a wide range of stakeholders, including ranchers, local 
governments, ski areas, conservation organizations, recreation 
advocates, and many others. He listened and brought them into the 
process. His collaborative approach made better outcomes possible 
across the forest.
  Even in retirement, Scott has continued to advocate for the Forest 
Service and for Colorado's public lands. He has made sure the national 
conversation about conservation includes the people who manage these 
lands every day. At a time of historic staffing and budget shortfalls, 
Scott has been a clear and credible voice for the Agency he served for 
more than three decades.
  We are grateful for Scott's years of service and leadership. His work 
leaves a lasting legacy for our State, and I wish him well in whatever 
comes next.

                          ____________________