Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Don Tuttle, who is being honored, along with his wife Andrea, as the Humboldt County DCC Citizen of the Year, an award he richly deserved.

Don Tuttle's long career with the Humboldt County Public Works Department's Natural Resources Division and his deep involvement in key resource, energy and historical issues has been a great benefit to Humboldt County and California's North Coast. His expertise and meticulous chronicling of events continues to be an asset on which the community relies.

Don Tuttle's positions as administrator of the Eel-Russian River Commission from 1978 to 1988, and as a member of the Trinity River Task Force Technical Advisory Committee, helped shape the recovery of two essential North Coast rivers. As chairman of the Humboldt Bay Harbor Safety Commission, he was instrumental in developing the Humboldt Bay Deepening Project, which allows the harbor to act as a deep-water port and ensures the safety of all mariners. As a longtime member of the Humboldt County Historical Society, and president of the society from 1989 to 1992, Don Tuttle has painstakingly worked to preserve the county's rich history.

Among the vital efforts in which Don Tuttle was instrumental are helping secure funding from Congress for a bank protection project to shield King Salmon from wave and tidal action; assisting in recapturing water diverted from the Eel River for the benefit of salmon and steelhead; developing a mitigation bank in conjunction with the Fay Slough Wildlife Area north of Eureka; and the creation of a vast data bank of aerial photographs, maps, and documents used by many professionals in Humboldt County.

Mr. Speaker, Don Tuttle's tremendous efforts to preserve and protect the Humboldt County community and its natural resources are worthy of recognition. I urge my colleagues to join me in extending our congratulations for his selection as Citizen of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Andrea Tuttle, who is being honored, along with her husband Don, as the Humboldt County DCC Citizen of the Year, an award she richly deserves.

Andrea Tuttle's extensive work in forestry and climate issues around the world has made her an expert whose knowledge is invaluable in Humboldt County and around the globe. The expertise she has gained in her considerable academic and administrative experience has guided conservation, forestry and climate projects in California, the Pacific Northwest and in Asia.

Earning undergraduate and Ph. D. degrees at the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree at the University of Washington, Andrea Tuttle was also appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board from 1976 to 1984; worked as staff for Sen. Barry Keene on the state Senate Select Committee on Forest Resources from 1987 to 1991; was appointed by Assembly Speaker Cruz Bustamante to the California Coastal Commission from 1997 to 1999; and was appointed by Gov. Gray Davis as Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 1999 through 2004.

Andrea Tuttle is currently an independent consultant on forest and climate policy, the chairwoman of the Pacific Forest Trust and an observer on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with a focus on reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Andrea Tuttle has published in a wide variety of scientific publications on timber management and forest carbon issues, among others. Her years of teaching as an instructor in science and natural resources at Humboldt State University, the College of the Redwoods and at UC Berkeley highlight Andrea Tuttle's desire to share what she has learned for the improvement of the local and global communities.

Mr. Speaker, Andrea Tuttle's dedication to conservation and natural resources at home in Humboldt County and abroad is commendable and worthy of recognition. I urge my colleagues to join me in extending our congratulations for her selection as Citizen of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the Humboldt County Farm Bureau on the occasion of their centennial year.

One hundred years ago, in July of 1913, the Humboldt County Farm Bureau was established as a center for local farmers and ranchers to exchange information and industry practices. The oldest Farm Bureau in the State of California and the second oldest in the nation, it is a membership-based, grass-roots organization dedicated to promoting and preserving agriculture in Humboldt County.

The establishment of the Humboldt County Farm Bureau provided the opportunity to host a Farm Advisor from the University of California, a position that changed many of the agricultural practices and provided scientific research to improve production in the county. With the development of the UC Extension Office also came the 4-H Program, and in both cases Humboldt's were the first in California.

The Farm Bureau is Humboldt County's single largest general agricultural organization representing and supporting all aspects of agriculture from dairy to timber, cattle, produce, oysters, wineries, and the floral industry. A non-profit organization working towards positive solutions to the problems faced by farming and rural communities, it collaborates with other local, county, and state agriculture organizations to promote and protect family farms and develop better methods and practices in farming and management.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Humboldt County Farm Bureau on their centennial anniversary and ask my colleagues and the North Coast community to join me in wishing them all the best for another 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, this is a critical moment for the 113th Congress of the United States. We have an opportunity to let this House work its will, to end the government shutdown, to protect the full faith and credit of our country, to show the whole world that after a 3-week bout with insanity, the duly elected Representatives of the people in this Congress finally came to their senses.

But I am concerned that that is not where we are heading here in the 11th hour of this crisis as we approach the precipice of the debt ceiling and the prospect of default. Instead of working together to develop a budget that would work for Americans, my colleagues across the aisle in the Republican Party continue to let reckless ideologues drive their agenda and drive all of us further into a national crisis.

I have the honor of serving on the Budget Committee; and along with Ranking Member Van Hollen, the Democratic members of that committee have been calling since the spring for a conference committee so that we could actually work out a budget that could work for both parties and for the American people, but the GOP leadership in this House has refused to appoint conferees, has refused to go into that negotiation. Why did they do that? Because they preferred the strategy of taking us to this point, into this crisis with the government shutdown, up to the edge of the cliff with the possibility of default because they wanted to maximize their leverage.

Why have they shut down the government? Why have they put us in this position? Well, we heard for months that it was their obsession with the Affordable Care Act, with repealing, delaying, defunding ObamaCare. Yet all of a sudden, 3 weeks into this crisis, the goalposts are moving. It is not so much about ObamaCare. Sometimes it is in, and sometimes it is out on their list of demands. What about the deficit and the debt? Sometimes that is part of the stated reason for this manufactured crisis.

Back to ObamaCare. There is no question about it that the CBO says that moving forward with the Affordable Care Act will actually improve our deficit, will actually help us better manage our long-term debt. We know that there are all sorts of things that we could do together if reducing the deficit and managing our debt was the goal. For example, we could pass bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, which again the CBO tells us would lower our deficits, lower our national debt, but that doesn't seem to really be what this Republican-manufactured crisis is all about.

It calls to mind the farewell address of our first President--the Founder of our country, George Washington--who warned about political parties who were at war with their own government. He warned about factions that were driven to defeat other factions by the spirit of revenge and dissension and how that itself would become a frightful form of despotism.

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that we are walking very close to that awful scenario that our first President dreaded. Now we are hearing a bit of good news from the other House that Senator Reid and Senator McConnell are close to a bipartisan agreement to help resolve this crisis. I have no doubt there would be enough votes in this House to pass that kind of agreement.

So to my Republican friends, let us vote on that deal or, even better, let us vote on the clean CR that has been pending in this House for weeks that could get us out of this crisis. It would temporarily fund the government at Republican funding levels while we work on a longer-term budget solution. Let us vote.

It seems to me that the GOP needs to simply take ``yes'' for an answer, allow this House to work its will and get out of this crisis. Unfortunately, we have heard from Senator Reid that there were deals reached weeks ago. When Speaker Boehner brought those deals back to this House, he found that the Tea Party faction in his caucus wouldn't support him, and, instead, they chose to shut this government down and take us into this crisis. They did something worse than that. They rigged the rules of this House with the so-called martial law that has prevented Democrats from offering any alternatives, any off-ramps for this crisis. They shut down the government, and they hardwired it to stay shut down, and now, like the dog that finally catches the car, my Republican friends don't know what to do with the situation they have created.

I have a suggestion. Instead of continuing to grope for overreaching concessions and fig leafs, cut your losses. Admit that this scorched- Earth politics of obstruction--this war against the very government that you were sent here to govern--is a bad idea. Let us vote on solutions to end this crisis.

We don't even need an apology for all of the damage you have caused-- for the $160 million a day that has undermined our economic recovery and economic losses from this shutdown. We don't even need an apology for the thousands of Federal employees indefinitely furloughed, for the national parks and forests that have been shuttered, for the loans to farmers and families, who are trying to purchase homes, that have been held up. We don't need you to apologize for halting lifesaving research, for any of that.

Just let us vote to end this crisis. If you don't, don't bother apologizing, because the American people will never forgive the damage you have done to this country and to our standing in the world.

I want to thank my friend from inland southern California very much for including me in this Special Order hour.

There are so many ways in which this Republican government shutdown is hurting the people of California, hurting the people of my district. But I just wanted to speak for a few minutes about some very particular ways in my district that people are feeling the pain.

The Second District of California is an amazing place. I am honored to represent it. One of the things that makes it special are the abundant public lands. We have protected coasts, parks, recreation areas, forests, and wilderness areas. These public lands are essential to our region's tourism, recreation, and resource economy.

The north coast's tourism economy is a big deal. It creates $3.5 billion in annual tourism spending, more than 42,000 jobs, and nearly $225 million in local and State tax revenue. Visitors from all over America--and, in fact, all over the world--come to our public lands. Thanks to the Republican shutdown, much of that economic activity is grinding to a halt.

The Point Reyes National Seashore is closed. In 2011, this seashore received 2.1 million visitors and brought in $93.3 million in economic activity to the area. The shutdown is starting to impact small business owners in and around the park in West Marin. These are folks who subsist on the tourism dollars that this world-famous seashore and working landscape attracts.

Nearby, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is also closed. That collection of lands welcomes 14.5 million visitors a year. The spending on an annual basis is nearly $300 million for the region because of that visitation. The commissaries and vendors right now are shut down. They aren't purchasing the locally-sourced food that they serve. They are further hurting the Marin and Sonoma County farms and dairies because of that shutdown.

Tourism is one of the most important drivers of Mendocino County's economy further to the north. It pumps in $314 million directly to that county's economy. That was in the year 2011. Seventy-four percent of the visitors to the county come to the public lands--lands that are now closed.

What about California's redwood coast further north in Humboldt County? You guessed it: Redwood National Park is being forced to turn away visitors.

Yet, in response to the shutdown, this House has spent the last week voting on Band-Aid bills that attempt to pit one part of government or one program against all the others. This is a surreal proposition: the idea that our economy is hemorrhaging more than $300 million a day because of this political stunt and our GOP majority offers these Band- Aid bills that aren't going to end it. The Senate is not going to take up and approve these bills, and the President has made it clear that he would veto them even if they did. So this is not going to solve the problem; but that, unfortunately, is how we have been spending our time.

These are not honest attempts to restore funding for our public lands. They wouldn't begin to undo the damage that this shutdown is doing to our resources and our recreational industries. The House majority is pursuing a cynical PR strategy. It is creating Hollywood storefronts rather than seriously trying to reopen our government.

Even if these piecemeal bills were to pass, let's not pretend that it would solve the problem. To give you just one example, one of the Band- Aid bills that we debated and voted on over the last week pretended to reopen our parks, and yet it would not reopen--it completely ignores, in fact--the 2.4 million acres of National Forest Service land. There are many other examples of park and recreation areas and public lands that would have been left behind and still subject to the government shutdown.

In my congressional district, we have major Forest Service lands and a Forest Service presence. Many people in

businesses rely on our national forests being open for business. Just this week, I got word that a salvage logging operation in the Shasta- Trinity National Forest is at risk of being shut down because of where we are with this Republican government shutdown. This is a salvage logging operation in the wake of a serious fire that we have seen. It is a consensus project to harvest trees, to avoid public hazards, to do something that is good for the forest, good for the local economy, and it is at risk of not happening because of this political stunt. This is causing real economic damage and potentially real fire safety damage to the communities that I represent.

So let's stop posturing. Let's stop the PR stunts. Let's stop the Hollywood storefronts. Stop deflecting, stop insulting the intelligence of the American people. Let's have an up or down vote to reopen our public lands and, indeed, to reopen our government.

I would.

There is no doubt about it. I think you are exactly right. Of course, prior to my election in Congress, I spent 6 years in the California Legislature, where we had our own fiscal crises and, yes, at times the government practically shut down. We worked through it. We found compromise.

You are absolutely right, Congressman. California is on the verge of a tremendous comeback. Jobs are coming in; investment is coming into our State. Things are really beginning to happen in a great way in the State of California after a tough period.

Just as it seems we are getting started, along comes this Federal Government shutdown with so many impacts to our economy. The debates that we have here in Washington don't even scratch the surface of how this is hurting people and undermining consumer confidence and setting us back in places like California, where we have the potential to do enormous things in terms of research and so many other ways we contribute to the national economy.

Absolutely. As we talk about this incredible economic damage and risk that politicians are taking with our economy, what I am hearing from my district is how incredulous people are because there is such an obvious and simple solution and way forward.

Let's have an up-or-down vote on whether we should continue this government shutdown or end it, and even end it, at least temporarily, on Republican budget numbers. That seems so eminently reasonable and sensible. In fact, it was the deal that one House struck and advanced out of that House with bipartisan action. Yet here we are in the House of Representatives with a small faction rejecting that deal, holding the entire country's economy potentially hostage for political reasons. It is just something my constituents can't understand.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to honor the enduring efforts of Mrs. Denise Wear on the occasion of the Chinese Newcomers Service Center Benefit on September 27, 2013 in San Francisco, California. For over 25 years, Denise Wear has devoted substantial time, talent, and resources to help raise funds and support for various community groups and she has coordinated many regional events for children and families.

Mrs. Wear has dedicated herself to many causes and organizations seeking to improve our communities including Friends of China Camp State Park, Bay Area Discovery Museum, and Asian Scholarship Fund. Through her efforts she has been instrumental in promoting the history of the early Chinese immigrants and appreciation of Chinese language and culture.

Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to Mrs. Denise Wear for her long and impressive record of service to the Asian community in Marin County and to our entire Bay Area Community.

Mr. Speaker, we are seeing significant natural disasters this month, from the historic floods that are wreaking havoc across Colorado to the third-largest wildfire in California's history--the Rim fire in and around Yosemite National Park.

These disasters have taken lives, they have driven families from their homes, and it will take years--and many, many millions of dollars--to clean up and repair all of the damage. Yes, these are ``natural'' disasters, but that doesn't mean that we aren't culpable.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as the British meteorological office found in a recent study that for at least half of last year's worst weather events, human activities made them more likely and more severe. Specifically, human-influenced climate change had an effect on Superstorm Sandy, heat waves in the United States, and drought in Europe.

But the climate deniers in Congress continue to ignore what's happening right in front of our eyes. We must get beyond extreme politics and start addressing the extreme damage of climate change.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize National Health Center Week, celebrating the more than 1,200 health centers providing vital health care for 22 million individuals at more than 9,000 locations across the country. During the week of August 11- 17th, celebrations of National Health Center Week will be taking place at West County Health Centers and Petaluma Health Center in my Congressional district.

America's community health centers are the core of our health care system and the nation's social safety net, delivering high quality, cost-effective, and accessible primary and preventative care to individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Health centers are located in medically underserved areas and controlled locally by patient-majority boards, making each health center responsive to the needs of the individual community it serves.

From the Marin Community Clinic to Crescent City Health Care Center, California's Second Congressional District, which I am honored to represent, is served by a network of vibrant community health centers offering patient-focused, coordinated healthcare that families and individuals need.

National Health Center Week offers us the opportunity to recognize all those responsible for the continued success and growth of community health centers nationwide. Since this program's inception 50 years ago, health centers have served those in need with comprehensive, high quality, cost effective, and accessible health care, and I am grateful for their role in the North Coast community.

My staff and I look forward to participating in community celebrations of National Health Center Week, and I ask my colleagues to join me in marking the occasion and sending America's health centers our best wishes for another successful 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Humboldt State University's Centennial Year. Founded in 1913, Humboldt State University is the only state university in coastal Northern California and in my Congressional District. The university has made major contributions to the intellectual life, culture and economy of the North Coast, California and the nation.

One hundred years ago, on June 16, 1913, North Coast citizens had the foresight to help formally establish Humboldt State Normal School and to pledge $12,000 and 12 acres of land to the school. Humboldt State University formally opened on April 6, 1914, and has since awarded more than 55,000 degrees to students from diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Humboldt State University offers a broad array of academic programs and an outstanding college experience for 8,000 students each year, while contributing greatly to the regional community. The annual economic impact of Humboldt State University is estimated to be $190 million on the North Coast and $400 million statewide.

Humboldt State University is widely known for the personal attention faculty provide to students, and for the hands-on experiences which complement classroom learning. The Humboldt State University faculty has established a strong reputation for excellence in teaching and research.

A longstanding commitment to environmental and social responsibility permeates the Humboldt State University curriculum and campus culture, which has enabled its alumni to make a difference wherever they live.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Humboldt State University for its many academic achievements and for the services it provides to many students throughout the state and nation. I encourage my colleagues and the North Coast community to join me in celebrating the university's centennial and in offering best wishes for its next 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the 201st anniversary of Fort Ross, a California State Park and the site of an early Russian colony established on the North Coast of California in 1812. The annual Fort Ross Festival and Dialogue will take place on July 27-29, 2013 to celebrate the history and cultural significance of the site, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending best wishes for the event.

Fort Ross is located in the home region of the Kashaya Pomo people of Northern California. In the early 1800s, the Russian-American Company founded Fort Ross as an early agricultural and fur-trading outpost to support their operations from San Francisco to Alaska. Russian colonists developed farms, ranches, and hunting operations in concert with local Kashaya and Alaska Native employees, playing an early role in establishing the agricultural character of the North Coast.

Today, Fort Ross is a national historic landmark, and an important piece of the shared history of the Russian and American people. Through cultural events, archeological study, and efforts to preserve the historical structures at the site, Fort Ross has become a hub for the Russian-American community and a destination for visitors from all over the world. The Fort Ross Festival will offer historical re-enactments and celebrations of Russian influence in the region while the Dialogue will enable Russian and American leaders to discuss Russian-American relations and trade in the modern era.

As we reflect on this unique landmark of California's history, I thank both the Fort Ross Conservancy and California State Parks for their commitment to restoring and preserving the park's historic buildings and features. This beautiful 3,400 acre park is a jewel of Sonoma County's coastline and offers visitors both outdoor recreation and historical significance.

I ask my colleagues to join me in marking this historic occasion and sending them our best wishes for a successful festival.

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

(Mr. HUFFMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, we agree, the Three Kids Mine is an abandoned manganese mine and mill site located in Henderson, Nevada. This bill designates the combined 314 acres of private land and 948 acres of public land as the 1,262-acre Three Kids Mine Project Site and provides for the conveyance of the public lands to the Henderson Redevelopment Agency.

The bill requires that standard appraisal practices be used to determine the fair market value for the Federal lands to be conveyed. Once that determination has been made, the bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to determine the ``reasonable approximate estimation of the costs to assess, remediate, and reclaim the Three Kids Mine Project Site.'' That cost would then be deducted from the fair market

value of the public land that has conveyed. The Henderson Redevelopment Agency would pay the adjusted fair market value of the conveyed land, if any, and the Federal Government would be released from any and all liabilities or claims.

The BLM supports innovative proposals to address the cleanup of the Three Kids Mine, and we do not oppose this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Nevada, Representative Titus.

I would tell the chairman I have no further speakers and am prepared to yield back if the chairman is prepared to close.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

(Mr. HUFFMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I am honored to rise in support of my first piece of legislation as a Member of Congress: H.R. 1411. This bill will add Mendocino's Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands to the California Coastal National Monument.

Those of my colleagues who have visited the Mendocino coast appreciate the true unspoiled beauty of this region, and understand why it's so important to protect it for future generations.

This bill will preserve a complex and fragile ecosystem on the Mendocino coast, approximately 130 miles north of San Francisco. It will serve as the first land-based addition to the California Coastal National Monument. It will also add 10 miles of connectivity to the California Coastal Trail.

The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands encompass 1,255 acres of pristine coastal wetlands, including habitat for

several endangered species. The bill will also protect the Garcia River estuary and 2 miles of the Garcia River itself. This river is critical habitat for coho salmon and steelhead. In addition, we will maintain the existing ranching, recreation, and research uses of this land, preserving much of it as a sustainable working landscape.

But safeguarding this national treasure isn't just good for the environment; it is also good for the economy. Environmental tourism is critical to the economy of the north coast of California, and expanding the Coastal National Monument will bring new visitors and new economic activity.

Tourism is already the number one source of jobs on the Mendocino coast. We get close to 2 million annual visitors in the region, and that supports more than 5,000 jobs and generates more than $110 million in economic activity annually. The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands are a perfect gateway for visitors to experience the California Coastal National Monument. That is one of the reasons why the effort to protect this amazing stretch of the Mendocino coast has such broad public support from State and local elected officials to the Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians, conservation groups across the country, and business and civic leaders in the community. In addition, hundreds of individuals in this rural area have expressed their support by way of petition.

My friend and predecessor in representing the north coast in Congress, Congressman Mike Thompson, initiated the effort to protect this area in the last Congress, and I am very pleased that he is joining me as a cosponsor of this bill.

I am also very appreciative of the support of the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Doc Hastings, and also of the newest Member of our Senate and our former ranking Democrat, Ed Markey.

In addition, I want to thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva of the Public Lands Subcommittee for not only hearing the bill, but for inviting my constituent, Scott Schneider, who is president and CEO of Visit Mendocino, to come and testify in support of this legislation.

This bill was reported by the Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent, and I am grateful that we have come so far to preserve this iconic landscape.

I look forward to continuing to work with the committee, with Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and with my colleagues to ensure that we fully and permanently protect this magnificent coastline.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1411, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan).

I thank the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands.

Mr. Speaker, I would yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague, the gentleman from Monterey, California (Mr. Farr).

I thank the gentleman and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it hurts the working poor.

Mr. Speaker, after President Obama's historic announcement of his climate action plan 2 weeks ago, we returned home to our congressional districts for a week, and some of us saw record- high temperatures and drought. Others witnessed unseasonably heavy rainfall and tidal flooding. And yet this week we return to a House that's heading in the wrong direction.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is debating a bill that would give the Department of Energy veto authority over EPA's public health rules. The Energy and Minerals Subcommittee spent yesterday in a hearing on the wonders of subsidized coal production.

Fighting climate change is the biggest imperative of our time. The stakes are high, and ignoring it will not make the problem go away.

President Obama's plan is a step in the right direction, and I'm encouraged that EPA is moving quickly on meaningful standards for power plants. Strong power plant standards are an imperative if we're going to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

We've got a lot of work to do, Mr. Speaker, and it's time to get this House headed in the right direction on climate policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleague Mike Thompson to honor Martin James (Marty) Lombardi, an outstanding human being, committed youth advocate, consummate civic leader, and a model community banker.

A native of San Francisco, Marty was born of immigrant parents from Malaga, Spain, and Luca, Italy. A graduate of St. Mary's College, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics before moving to the northern California town of Ukiah in 1975. Exemplary as the consummate small town banker, Marty Lombardi earned the respect of home buyers as well as business leaders, small and large. During his tenure at the Savings Bank of Mendocino County where he is Senior Vice President, Marty has been a forward thinker supporting projects with far reaching beneficial effects.

Marty served as President of the California Independent Bankers and the Community Bankers of California and as chair of the Mendocino County Workforce Investment Board. He was President of the Ukiah Education Foundation and served on the Boards of Directors for the Ukiah Valley Medical Center; American Red Cross: Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties Chapter; Mendocino County Public Safety Foundation; both Ukiah High and Mendocino Community College Mathematics, Engineer, Science Achievement (MESA) Board; Mendocino Community College Bond Oversight; Mendocino Winegrowers Foundation; United Way: Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt Counties Chapter; Tapestry (Foster Care); Ukiah Chamber of Commerce; Ukiah-Boys and Girls Club; and Nuestra Casa.

He has been a visionary who established the Mendocino Agricultural Families Scholarship, spearheaded the Ukiah Valley Cultural & Recreational Center, and was on the steering committee for Leadership Mendocino.

Marty, who is retiring as a banker, is regarded for his ``kind and loving heart'' by his family including his wife Kathleen, their six children, and by our extended local community and the hundreds of students who benefitted from his counsel.

The residents of California's Second and Fifth District are better off today thanks to the work of Marty Lombardi, and it is appropriate that we honor him as an energetic, gregarious, forward thinking and optimistic civic leader. He is a mentor to many and a model for all.