Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation Act of 2010

Mr. Speaker, for the time to speak in favor of my legislation, H.R. 5194, to name a peak in the Eastern Sierra in honor of Andrea Mead Lawrence. Let me also express my appreciation to the leaders of the Committee on Natural Resources, Chairmen Rahall and Grijalva, and Ranking Members Hastings and Bishop who worked to help bring this legislation to the floor today.

Andrea Mead Lawrence was a remarkable woman. I was honored to know and work with her for the protection of the Eastern Sierra, a cause she championed for much of her life. Born in Rutland County, Vermont, on April 19, 1932, she developed a life-long love of winter sports and appreciation for the environment. A skilled skier, she competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland as well as the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo Italy. She also served as the torch lighter at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. In the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo Norway, she won two Gold Medals in the Olympic special and giant slalom races. To this day, she remains the only United States double-gold medalist in alpine skiing. For her significant accomplishments, she was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1958, at the age of 25.

These remarkable achievements at a young age, however, were just the beginning of a life of service to her community and environmental preservation. In 1968, Andrea moved to Mammoth Lakes in the spectacularly beautiful Eastern Sierra of California. It was in this special region she spent the rest of her life working to protect the area's natural treasures.

Never one to rest on her accomplishments, she founded the Friends of Mammoth to maintain the beauty and serenity of Mammoth Lakes and the Eastern Sierra. She served for 16 years on the Mono County Board of Supervisors, where she worked tirelessly to protect and restore Mono Lake, Bodie State Historic Park, and other important natural and cultural landscapes of the Eastern Sierra. As a member of the Great Basin Air Pollution Control District, she worked to reduce air pollution caused by the dewatering of Owens Lake. In 2003, she founded the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers to protect the environment and the economic vitality of this important region.

In 2008, she testified before the Mono County Board of Supervisors in favor of the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, a bill enacted the day before she died on March 31, 2009 at the age of 76. Andrea left a rich legacy of a family of five children and four grandchildren, as well as a distinguished record in skiing. Her tireless efforts have left a better legacy for the people who live and recreate in the Eastern Sierra.

Andrea Mead Lawrence's life philosophy is summed up in her quote ``Your life doesn't stop by winning medals. It's only the beginning. And if you have the true Olympic spirit, you have to put it back into the world in meaningful ways.''

Mr. Speaker, it is very fitting to name Peak 12,240 ``Mt. Andrea Lawrence''; both in her honor, and as a visible point of inspiration for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the

bill (H.R. 5194) to designate Mt. Andrea Lawrence, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 5194, introduced by Representative Buck McKeon, would designate a mountain in California's Sierra Nevadas as Mt. Andrea Lawrence. Andrea Mead Lawrence was the first American to win two Olympic gold medals in alpine skiing. She followed her Olympic career with a career as an ardent conservationist.

H.R. 5194 designates Peak 12,240 as Mt. Andrea Lawrence. The mountain is located on the northern border of the Ansel Adams Wilderness and the Yosemite National Park. This seems a fitting tribute to the life and work of Ms. Lawrence.

I urge Members to support H.R. 5194.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Andrea Lawrence was a successful Olympic skier, a long- time member of the Mono County Board of Supervisors, and founder of the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers. This bill, as was explained, designates an unnamed 12,000-foot peak located on the boundary between the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area and Yosemite National Park as Mt. Andrea Lawrence.

This designation is a fitting tribute to Andrea Lawrence, who died last year at the age of 76 after a long career as a pioneering woman and civic leader. Congressman McKeon should be commended for his work on this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.