WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
House of Representatives today passed and sent to the White House a
bill naming a Montana mountain for
the late Alex Diekmann, a Trust for
Public Land Senior Project Manager who died of cancer two years
ago. The Senate had passed the same bill in late December, so
today's action means the bill goes to President Trump for his
signature.
The peak is in the Madison Range in Southwestern Montana, overlooking the Madison
River Valley, one of the many areas in the Northern Rockies where
Diekmann led successful efforts to conserve our land and
water. He was responsible for the protection of more
than 50 distinct areas in Montana,
Wyoming, and Idaho, securing for the future over 100,000
acres of iconic mountains and valleys, rivers and creeks, ranches
and farms, and historic sites and open spaces.
"This bill permanently adding Alex's name to an area where he
worked so successfully is a fitting tribute to a man whose
conservation legacy will be felt forever by people who live in and
visit the Northern Rockies region," said Will Rogers, President and CEO of The Trust for
Public Land. "Those of us who worked with him as a friend and
a colleague knew him as a passionate, tireless and extremely
effective advocate for conserving special places like the Madison
Valley and the Gallatin."
According to Madison Valley resident Craig Mathews, a well-known fly fisherman and
conservationist, Diekmann possessed a truly unique set of gifts,
and without his community spirit, tremendous skills, and
conservation commitment, many of these places surely would have
been lost. "From my Madison Valley living room I can see
Alex Diekmann Peak in the Madison
Mountain Range standing watch over thousands of acres Alex helped
protect. He is the valley's best friend, and mine too," Mathews
said.
Mr. Diekmann's wife, Lisa
Diekmann, expressed her pride in her late husband's work and
her gratitude to all who worked to memorialize his legacy. "This is
a great way to start the new year. I hope that the efforts of
Senators Tester and Daines, Congressman Gianforte, and Alex's
friends and colleagues who have worked tirelessly to designate this
peak in memory of Alex and his commitment to conservation and
collaboration will be an inspiration for others."
One of Alex's final conservation projects was the protection of
more than 3,000 acres of land near the City of Whitefish. Mayor
John Muhlfeld, who worked with Alex
to complete the deal, noted Alex's steadfast commitment to closing
the deal, even in his last days. "His passion for conservation was
relentless but more importantly, Alex was an incredible friend,
father, brother and husband, and we will forever be reminded of his
legacy when we go out and experience the lands in Northwest Montana that Alex helped protect in
perpetuity."
Mr. Diekmann's long-time colleague at The Trust for Public Land,
Alan Front, who spearheaded the effort to name the peak, remembered
Diekmann as a tireless advocate for conserving our land and water
for future generations. "The adjectives that describe the best of
humankind apply to Alex. He had the courage and tenacity, the
dignity and ability to work with the local community to get the
conservation job done. He had the gift of sight beyond
ordinary vision," Front said.
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for
people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to
come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park,
garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every
year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature
matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
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SOURCE The Trust For Public Land