[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23056]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 TRIBUTE TO ERNEST T. DIERKING, U.S. FOREST SERVICE DIRECTOR OF LANDS 
                              AND MINERALS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 17, 2000

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, when the millions of people who 
live in Southern California want to escape our perpetual summer for a 
little winter fun or cool mountain breezes, we head to a refuge 
thousands of feet above and a world away from the beaches that are our 
trademark. Just an hour from those beaches lies the San Bernardino 
National Forest, which today provides thousands of acres of 
recreational splendor thanks largely to the efforts of one dedicated 
public servant: Ernest T. Dierking.
  Ernest Dierking began his career with the U.S. Forest Service in June 
1958, and has dedicated the last 22 years to expanding the San 
Bernardino National Forest and making sure the pines and mountain 
vistas are preserved for an appreciative public. He has served as the 
District Ranger in San Bernardino, and most recently he was Director of 
Lands and Minerals. In that role, he has acquired 15,990 acres worth 
$17 million to be preserved for the public's enjoyment.
  Through the efforts of Ernest Dierking, the public can now enjoy 
hundreds of miles of mountain trails, ski resorts, wildlife watching 
and peak climbing from the Cucamonga Wilderness on the Los Angeles 
County line to the Santa Rosa Wilderness in Riverside County.
  Mr. Speaker, Ernest Dierking retired from the Forest Service on Sept. 
1, ending his 42-year career of accomplishment and public service. 
Please join me in thanking him for creating a mountain paradise on the 
edge of our nation's largest urban area, and wishing him well in his 
future plans.

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