[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SUPERINTENDENT CAM 
                                 SHOLLY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RYAN K. ZINKE

                               of montana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 13, 2026

  Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the selfless service of 
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly, a man who has 
demonstrated unwavering dedication to preserving and protecting 
America's best idea, our National Park system.
  Cam Sholly is the son of a career National Park Service employee. He 
grew up hiking, fishing, camping and learning in our parks, to include 
attending elementary school in Crater National Park, middle school in 
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and graduated high school a Gardiner 
Bruin in Yellowstone National Park. This upbringing shaped a deep love 
for public lands and America's great outdoors.
  Truly born for the National Park Service, Cam started his career in 
1990 working in Yellowstone's backcountry before serving as Chief of 
Ranger Operations at Yosemite National Park, Deputy Associate Director 
and later Associate Director for Visitor and Resource Protection at the 
National Park Service, Superintendent of Natchez Trace Parkway, and 
Regional Director for the NPS Midwest Region, overseeing 61 national 
park units across 13 states before returning to Montana and being 
chosen to lead Yellowstone National Park as Superintendent in 2018.
  Cam's experience and deep knowledge of our National Parks molded him 
into the perfect leader Yellowstone needed through several of the 
park's most significant challenges since its founding in 1872. Cam led 
park operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and unlike many public 
lands managers, Cam made the call to keep the park open. With the 
pandemic limiting activities worldwide, Americans sought outdoor 
destinations. Yellowstone National Park hosted 3.8 million visits in 
2020 and a record-breaking 4.8 million visits in 2021, while working to 
provide millions of visitors with a safe experience.
  Cam's greatest challenge, and a defining moment of his leadership, 
came directly after the pandemic when historic floods triggered what 
hydrologists described as a 500-year flood. In 2022, the flooding 
destroyed miles of roads, washed away bridges, triggered massive 
mudslides and rockslides, damaged water and wastewater systems, and 
completely severed the North Entrance between Gardiner, Montana, and 
Mammoth Hot Springs. In one of the most successful emergency recoveries 
in National Park history, Cam was able to reopen 93 percent of the park 
within 20 days and rebuild two major road corridors in only four 
months. This recovery not only saved the public park experience, but 
the surrounding Montana communities that rely on tourism. Cam's 
resilience in the face of adversity turned what many expected to be a 
years-long closure into a recovery that allowed Yellowstone to welcome 
millions of visitors again while rebuilding for the future.
  Cam Sholly's career reflects the very best of the National Park 
Service and the American spirit. Through decades of dedicated service, 
he has protected our Nation's greatest treasures while ensuring that 
millions of Americans can experience the beauty and wonder of our 
public lands.
  Mr. Speaker, as our Nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is 
fitting that we recognize individuals like Cam Sholly, whose commitment 
to conservation, public service, and the stewardship of America's great 
outdoors will benefit generations to come. I thank Cam Sholly for his 
unwavering dedication to Yellowstone National Park, the State of 
Montana, and the United States of America.

                          ____________________