[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11770]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING MR. KEITH KIRK-
     LAND UPON RECEIVING THE 2006 INTERNATIONAL PAPER CONSERVATION 
                           PARTNERSHIP AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HAROLD E. FORD, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 19, 2006

  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Keith Kirkland, 
the recipient of the 2006 International Paper Conservation Partnership 
Award.
  This award is presented annually to an individual who has achieved 
significant results in the protection of habitat through a cooperative 
relationship with a business or company, and Mr. Kirkland, who serves 
as the Executive Director of The Wolf River Conservancy, is more than 
deserving.
  For more than 20 years, first as a volunteer, and then as an employee 
of the Conservancy, Mr. Kirkland has championed conservation and has 
dedicated himself to protecting and enhancing the lands and waters 
along Tennessee's Wolf River.
  Since 2003, when he was appointed Executive Director of the 
Conservancy, Mr. Kirkland has raised $12.5 million to support the U.S. 
Corps of Engineers' Wolf River Restoration Project. This successful 
project has resulted in ensuring the protection of 17,000 acres and 
forest and wetlands within the Wolf River flood plain.
  Furthermore, Mr. Kirkland has also helped to establish the Ghost 
River State Natural Area, whose protected landscapes serve as a 
recharge area for the region's aquifer. The establishment of this 
Natural Area has safeguarded drinking water for one of Tennessee's 
fastest-growing areas and habitat for threatened and endangered 
species.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in congratulating 
Mr. Kirkland and thanking him for his efforts to protect the forests 
and rivers of Tennessee. I thank International Paper as well, for 
recognizing Mr. Kirkland with their award.

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