[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9071-9072]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO PAT BRUCE

 Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Pat 
Bruce for

[[Page 9072]]

being presented with the Bureau of Land Management's, BLM, ``Making a 
Difference'' National Volunteer Award. Mr. Bruce, a volunteer with the 
BLM Winnemucca District Black Rock Field Office, has been awarded for 
his outstanding volunteer service and leadership to preserve and 
maintain the Silver State's wilderness areas. I am proud to honor a 
Nevadan who is dedicated to giving back to our community to create a 
better and brighter tomorrow.
  As the field project coordinator for the Friends of Nevada 
Wilderness, Mr. Bruce has dedicated 6 years to organizing volunteer 
projects within wilderness areas in the Black Rock Desert, which span 
over 1 million acres of BLM lands. Hiking in remote areas, Mr. Bruce 
maps routes and boundaries to create an assessment of current ground 
conditions. He is also a volunteer supervisor for nonwilderness 
projects which include the restoration and protection of BLM's Black 
Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation 
Area.
  The Silver State is home to vast wildlands and wildlife, which are 
vital to the character of our State. As a life long Nevadan and an avid 
outdoorsman, I was raised to respect and appreciate our State's natural 
surroundings and abundant wildlife. I first enjoyed these great Nevada 
treasures with my father and have since passed that same respect and 
appreciation along to my children.
  I understand the importance of good stewardship and appreciate Mr. 
Bruce's dedication to protecting and maintaining Nevada's lands. I am 
proud to represent him in the Senate and applaud him for his efforts to 
provide future generations of Nevadans the same recreational 
opportunities we enjoy. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing Mr. Bruce for his commitment to Nevada.

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