[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10476]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF BECKY MILLS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a fine public servant, 
great Nevadan, and friend, Ms. Becky Mills. On May 3, 2002, after 
nearly 25 years of employment with the National Park Service, Becky 
retired from her position as Superintendent of Great Basin National 
Park.
  Becky Mills learned to love the great outdoors as a young child. Her 
grandfather took her on camping and fishing trips to Yosemite, where 
she interacted with Park Rangers around the campfire, and her 
participation in the Girl Scouts allowed her to explore more national 
parks: Yellowstone, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, 
Lake Mead, and others.
  Her lifelong interest in nature contributed to her decision to 
dedicate her life to protecting the environment. While hiking to the 
Mount Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas in the fall of 1976, Becky 
decided to change careers so her professional life would match her 
personal commitment to the environment. Becky joined the National Park 
Service in May of 1978 as Regional Chief of Youth Programs for the 
Pacific West Region. Her decision proved to be beneficial for the Park 
Service and, ultimately, for Nevada.
  In 1995 Becky was appointed Superintendent of Great Basin National 
Park in Nevada. In this capacity, she worked to protect and enhance the 
natural and cultural resources of the park and the surrounding lands 
and community. To help preserve the park's history, Becky has been 
instrumental in planning and designing a new Great Basin National Park 
Visitor Learning Center. Her dedication to the Park Service, and 
particularly to the people of east-central Nevada is both inspirational 
and much appreciated.
  I extend to her my most sincere congratulations and appreciation for 
her commitment to Great Basin National Park, the environment, and 
public service.

                          ____________________