HON. DEAN HELLER

OF NEVADA

IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE

June 13, 2012

 Mr. HELLER: Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Pat Bruce for 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 six years to organizing volunteer projects within wilderness areas in the Black Rock Desert, which span over one 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 non-wilderness 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 wild lands 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.