Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life, civic accomplishments and exemplary public service of Jere Melo, city council member and former mayor of the City of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino Coast. Jere Melo, 69, a personal friend of mine who was tragically murdered on August 27, 2011, leaves a bigger than life swath throughout this beautiful coastal town.

Born and raised in Mount Shasta in northwestern California, Jere Melo received a degree in forestry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army and served in South Korea and completed six years as a commander in the Army Reserves. In 1966 he moved to Fort Bragg where he worked in the local lumber mill. A much admired and loved father, brother, uncle, and devoted husband, Jere was married to the love of his life, Madeleine, for twenty-four years.

Jere Melo is known for using his personable skills to get things done in a cooperative way while all the while pursuing renewable methods to keep jobs in the forests. With his affable nature, ready smile and indefatigable energy, Jere Melo was a gentle giant of a man who used multiple approaches to listening to all sides and resolving problems, thus gaining the respect of many facets of the community.

Jere was the mayor of Fort Bragg from 2000 until 2004 and on the city council for the past 15 years. In addition he has served on the Planning Commission, the Public Safety Committee, the Fire Protection Agency, the League of California Cities and was a leader of the Coastal Cities Issues Group.

For many years, Jere, known as the ``grill master'' coordinated the cooks for the World's Largest Salmon Barbecue, a benefit for salmon restoration. In 2002, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Redwood Region Logging Conference for his decades of work in and on behalf of the timber industry.

Among his crowning achievements was spearheading the fundraising for the new Timberwolf High School stadium. He was an instrumental and valuable supporter of the Fort Bragg Fire Department. And he delighted animal lovers with his support and work for the local dog park and the animal shelter.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, Jere Melo has earned the admiration and respect of his peers, his community and his family. A gentleman, a forester, a facilitator and someone who easily worked with differing viewpoints, Jere embodied what every citizen wishes from a political representative. He was a friend and colleague whose legacy and contributions are long lasting not only in Fort Bragg but throughout the Northern California coast and timber country. For these reasons, it is appropriate that we honor an extraordinary citizen, Jere Melo.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1892, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, as amended by the manager's amendment.

As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence, I am pleased that we were able to work together to bring a bipartisan Intelligence authorization bill to the floor today.

H.R. 1892 will support critical U.S. intelligence capabilities by strengthening funding for our intelligence collection programs, enhancing counterintelligence efforts, and improving upon critical training operations vital to the future of the intelligence community.

This legislation also includes two provisions that I authored. The first provision requires the Director of National Intelligence to compile a threat assessment of foreign drug traffickers that are increasingly turning to public lands in the United States to further their operations.

Last year alone, over 3 million marijuana plants were eradicated on 62 of our national forests. The effect of these illegal drugs' growth has been profound, leading to unacceptable levels of violence and the devastation of our environment and our natural resources. Our public lands have been taken away from us. This is wrong, and it must be stopped.

This threat assessment will examine the ability of law enforcement and the intelligence community to gather, process, and share critical intelligence information regarding the presence of foreign drug traffickers on our Federal public lands. This coordination between the intelligence community and local law enforcement is extremely important.

The second provision that I authored requires the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to provide Congress with a full report on the events surrounding the May 2011 Osama bin Laden raid. This record, once complete, will provide an official account of a critical point in our country's history.

We are all proud of the intelligence community's extraordinary effort in carrying out the bin Laden operation. I believe it is necessary that we never forget what actually happened in the raid and to be able to recognize the amazing contribution of the intelligence community and this important success.

The historical significance of this mission cannot be understated. That's why we must make a determined effort to document and preserve all that went into this operation so that in the future the history books will be accurate and complete. I would like to just take a moment to thank my friend, a former committee colleague of ours, Representative Eshoo, for her work on this important part of the bill.

Madam Chair, our intelligence community must be prepared for any and all threats. While Osama bin Laden may no longer pose a direct threat to our country's safety and security, the remaining elements of al Qaeda and other emerging terrorist organizations are more determined than ever. It is critical for Congress to pass an Intelligence authorization that furthers our national security, which I believe this bill, with a manager's amendment, will do.

This legislation is necessary, will enhance the capabilities of the intelligence community, specifically our counterterrorism efforts, and will make our Nation stronger.

I urge my colleagues to support the amended bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Debbe Hartridge and Ira Blatt, two extraordinary citizens of Humboldt County, California, who have dedicated their lives to public service. The husband and wife team are being honored by the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee as 2011 Citizens of the Year for one of our nation's most precious rights--participation in the political system. Their commitment to the general health and welfare of the community and to the preservation of our liberty is worthy of appreciation and recognition.

Mrs. Hartridge is director of information, education and public affairs for Six Rivers Planned Parenthood, where she has worked for the past 20 years. She has served as President of the Humboldt County Integrated Waste Task Force, as an elected member of the Humboldt County Board of Education, and as President and Chair of the Education Committee for the Six Rivers Planned Parenthood Board of Directors. Mrs. Hartridge's work on reproductive rights has been honored with the Planned Parenthood Federation Affiliate Excellence Award for Education programs in 2000 and by the Association of Planned Parenthood Leaders in Education Award for Courage and Creativity in 2002.

Mr. Blatt is an attorney-at-law who opened a private practice law firm in 1974, serving primarily injured workers and disabled individuals. He received awards from the California Bar Association and the Humboldt County Bar Association for his pro-bono work. Mr. Blatt served 16 years as an elected board member for Arcata Elementary School District, and on the board of Redwood Legal Assistance for 25 years. He was Board President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for four years beginning in 2000, and remains an active member. He has also served as a member of the Arcata Economic Development Board.

These outstanding individuals have been vital contributors to the Humboldt County community for years. Mrs. Hartridge has four daughters, and the couple share four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Debbe Hartridge and Ira Blatt for their unwavering compassion and for their contribution to the ideals and traditions that have made America a nation of hope and achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Mrs. Jennifer Castelazo, a truly remarkable person who has been chosen to be the Napa County Teacher of the Year for 2012.

Mrs. Castelazo has always had a profound love for teaching and it is clearly visible with her students. She has been teaching Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and Advanced Placement Chemistry at Vintage High School since 1998.

Born in Massachusetts but raised in Livermore, California, she obtained an undergraduate degree in microbiology and her Master's of Science in food science and nutrition at California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo. She is a credentialed teacher in Physical and Life Science.

Throughout her teaching career, Mrs. Castelazo has volunteered for leadership positions on her campus, including twice participating on Western Association of Schools and Colleges leadership teams and serving as the 9th grade House lead teacher. She has supported student enrichment activities, serving as advisor to the Adventure Club, the GREEN Club, and senior class. Mrs. Castelazo has also led student sports, coaching Junior Varsity Girls' Soccer, Boys' Varsity Tennis and teaching the foreign exchange student summer program physical education course.

Mrs. Castelazo has been married for 15 years to Mark Castelazo. She is the mother of 12-year-old Maddie, 9-year-old Connor, and 7-year-old Ethan, and is often seen coaching her daughter's soccer games on Saturday mornings.

Mrs. Castelazo makes herself available to all students to ensure they are achieving their highest potential and works to ignite a passion for the sciences. She is a natural teacher and a leader among her peers. It is therefore appropriate that we honor her at this time for her service to Napa students and the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of community member Dr. Robert L. Moore for his 16 years of work with Clinic Ole, in Napa, California.

Dr. Moore studied at the University of California-Berkeley, where he majored in biochemistry. He later went on to earn a Master's degree in Public Health from Columbia University and a Medical degree from the University of California San Francisco Medical School.

In 1995, two years after graduating medical school, he joined Clinic Ole, a small non-profit clinic which served 4,000 patients a year at the time. In 1998, Dr. Moore was given the position of Medical Director and the clinic had expanded its capacity to serve 15,000 patients annually. Since then, Clinic Ole has continued to experience rapid growth due to Dr. Moore's leadership and tireless commitment to provide compassionate and high quality health care. He was the driving force behind the clinic's implementation of electronic health records and the re-engineering of patient visits, which allows the clinic to provide same-day or same-week appointments for all patients, which now number more than 22,000 each year.

Dr. Moore has served on the Board of Directors of Healthy Moms and Babies, and is the Medical Director for Redwood Community Health Coalition, a coalition of community health centers across northern California. Over the years, his passion for community health has led him to win several awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Napa County Hispanic Network in 2008 and the Hero Award from the California Primary Care Association in 2009.

Dr. Moore is being recognized for his many achievements in providing high quality health care to Napa County residents, and for his role as a dedicated teacher and mentor to the Clinic Ole staff.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we acknowledge Dr. Robert L. Moore for his 16 years of devoted service to the Napa Valley Community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of retiring California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Bunger, for his outstanding service in Napa County, California.

Mr. Bunger was born on Travis Air Force Base in 1959. He attended Napa Valley College and Cavalry Chapel Bible School, and later obtained his Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Certificate and graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy.

Mr. Bunger has been a dedicated member of the California Highway Patrol for 29 years, 24 of which he served in Napa County. He has also been honored with the position of CHP Flight Officer Golden Gate Division Air Operations Unit with the Napa County Airport and served as the Public Affairs Officer for the highway patrol from 1995 to 2001.

Having grown up in Napa, Mr. Bunger has a deep sense of community and has chosen to get involved in projects which would improve the lives of Napa citizens. One of these projects was a program called ``Every 15 Minutes,'' which simulates alcohol-related driving accidents and their aftermath at high schools throughout the state. His other projects include ``Lights for Life,'' a sobriety challenge, ``CHiP's for Kids,'' a Christmas toy drive, a high school driving program at Sears Point Raceway, and a Child SafetySeat Program.

Mr. Bunger is well known in the Napa Valley community for his wit and sharp sense of humor. He is fortunate enough to be surrounded by his loving family and life-long friends. He and his wife of 26 years, Laura, currently reside in Napa. Their two children Rebekah, age 20, and Joel, age 18, are both currently attending college.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we acknowledge Mark Bunger for his decades of devoted service to the Napa Valley community on this day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleague, Lynn Woolsey, to honor the Sonoma County Indian Health Project on its 40th anniversary, celebrated August 19, 2011.

Sonoma County Indian Health Project was founded in 1971 to provide health care to the Native American population residing in Sonoma County. Since its establishment, the Indian Health Project has grown considerably, serving evident unmet needs in our community and leading to its move into the large, modern health care facility it occupies today.

Through its relationship with the California Area Indian Health Service, the Sonoma County Indian Health Project assists in serving not only a large Native American population, but also a non-Indian population lacking sufficient access to care. Hundreds of families and individuals from communities across our region seek care at the facility each year, from traditional medical or dental treatment to nutritional consultation or transportation services for those in isolated areas.

Supported by the Cloverdale, Dry Creek, Lytton, Graton, Manchester- Point Area, and Stewarts Point Rancherias, the Indian Health Project also puts an emphasis on providing its services in a manner that respects and contributes to Indian culture. It is a symbol of the strength and determination of our Native American community and a proud part of what makes our region unique.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join us in thanking the Sonoma County Indian Health Project for its longstanding contributions to the health and welfare of Sonoma County, and in wishing the organization many more years of success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague, Lynn Woolsey, to recognize and honor J Vineyards and Winery of Healdsburg, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

J was conceived and developed by Judy Jordan, an exuberant, fiercely independent 25-year-old who saw an opening in Sonoma County's wine landscape for a high quality, all-American sparkling wine brand. It was a lofty goal for a product that was first made in an old, ramshackle prune processing barn that routinely flooded when the nearby Russian River overflowed.

From those humble beginnings, J sparkling wines have become some of the finest in the world. The winery's J Vintage Brut is a fixture on high profile wine lists and top hotels around the world. Queen Elizabeth sipped J at the White House. Mikhail Gorbachev spoke of world peace with a glass of J in his hand, and J sparkling wines were the official celebratory bubbles of the Academy Awards Governors Ball for 4 consecutive years.

To produce this remarkable wine, Ms. Jordan and her team rely on ten distinctive vineyard estate properties located throughout the Russian River Valley Appellation. These vineyards have at least 20 different soil profiles, with each vineyard displaying a different soil type and distinctive microclimate. This diversity allows J winemakers to coax the best flavor characteristics from each vineyard.

Ms. Jordan also came to the realization that her vineyards would also be ideal for producing site-specific, cool-climate Russian River Valley varietal wines such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris in addition to her sparkling wines. These wines were added to the portfolio and have become immensely popular products.

J's ten estate wines will be ``Certified Sustainable'' in 2012 by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. After a number of energy savings initiatives were implemented throughout the winery, J was named a ``Green Winery'' in 2010.

One of the first wineries to offer food and wine pairings to visitors in the ``Bubble Room,'' J was also named ``Best Winery Tasting Room'' by Sunset Magazine in 2009.

Mr. Speaker, from its humble beginnings, J Vineyards and Winery has become an international success story and one of the linchpins of the Sonoma County wine industry. It is therefore appropriate that we honor them today on their Silver Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, together with my colleague, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, to recognize Sandy Covall- Alves, who is retiring after three decades in the emergency management field. Throughout her 30 years of service, including 16 as Emergency Manager for Sonoma County's Fire and Emergency Services Department and the Sonoma County Operational Area, she dedicated herself to making sure that people in her charge were safe and received the resources they needed in the wake of natural disasters.

During her tenure in Sonoma County, Ms. Covall-Alves coordinated the response, recovery and mitigation efforts for the 1995-1999 and 2006 winter storms and floods, the 1996 Cavedale fire and the 1998 Rio Nido debris flow. In total, she oversaw the implementation of 14 local emergency proclamations, 12 Emergency Operations Center activations, 8 gubernatorial proclamations and 6 events that were designated by the President to be national disasters.

Ms. Covall-Alves was also the guiding force in establishing, implementing and coordinating emergency programs for the country, its cities and special districts. Her commitment to improving emergency management did not stop at the county line. She is a founding member and current Chair of the California Operational Area Coalition (COAC), a forum for information exchange and advocacy on emergency management issues. The coalition's mission is to enhance closer cooperation and collaboration with its members and with the State Emergency Management Agency.

Ms. Covall-Alves began her career in emergency management as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Tuolumne County Sheriffs Department. After developing disaster recovery plans for private businesses, she returned to public service with the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services and from there was deployed to the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Southern California as part of the state's mutual aid program. She joined the Sonoma County Office of Emergency Services in 1995 and quickly became an integral part of the county's response and recovery team. Our offices appreciated working with her, knowing that she was the consummate professional who could use all of her connections to develop a coordinated response.

Mr. Speaker, Sandy Covall-Alves has had a long and distinguished career in serving and protecting the people of the State of California. We wish her well in her retirement as she enjoys time with her husband, Ron Alves, and their three special pets, Beesley, Mowse and Wilson.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, the amendment before us today corrects a terrible flaw in the underlying bill, a provision that prohibits the endangered species from being listed as endangered. This provision is so bad that it would be funny but for the dangerous effect it would have on imperiled species on the brink of extinction and struggling to survive.

The previous speaker was eloquent in his discussion about the bald eagle. Let's think about what would have happened had this measure been law 44 years ago. The American bald eagle, our national bird and symbol, would be gone. In the 1960s, there were less than 450 nesting pairs of bald eagles. But thanks to the Endangered Species Act, this national symbol was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. And now there are nearly 10,000 nesting pair of bald eagles.

Maybe some of my colleagues side with those who wanted our national bird to be a turkey. But I think I speak for most Americans when I say that I am proud that we saved this national treasure, the American bald eagle, from extinction.

Had this rider been the law of the land in 1979, the American alligator would most likely be gone. But because of the ESA protections, the American alligator population has grown to more than 2 million and continues to thrive, helping local economies throughout the southeast.

The Aleutian goose is another example of the success of the Endangered Species Act. Back in 1967, there were no more than a few hundred of these birds. But thanks to the ESA, the Aleutian goose was fully recovered and successfully delisted in 2001, with a population of more than 100,000 birds in 2008. So successful was the ESA recovery effort that the Aleutian goose is not only thriving, but also being hunted in my district. Just this past hunting season alone, 1,700 acres of land were made available to hunters by the California Department of Fish and Game, not only pleasing the hunters, but helping the local economy as well.

Other animals that have made a tremendous recovery while listed under the Endangered Species Act include the California condor, the black- footed ferret, and the whooping crane. And of great importance to my district, we are seeing signs of healthy recovery for ESA-listed salmon. This impacts other fishing States as well.

Ironically, this deeply flawed provision does allow funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service to delist recovered species under the act. However, you can't remove protections for recovered species unless they are listed as endangered in the first place and a successful recovery plan is implemented. This measure puts the cart before the horse.

Our bipartisan amendment, which is supported by more than 60 organizations, would strike this extreme provision. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of this Earth and prevent the extinction of wildlife, plants, and fish. The sad truth is that once we lose a species, we will never get it back. That's why we need to allow for science-based policies and recovery plans for imperiled species instead of allowing politics to drive listing decisions and activities.

I recognize that some of my colleagues have strong objections to the Endangered Species Act. But placing a spending rider on this year's Interior appropriation bill is not the answer. If real reform is needed, then let's have an honest debate in the authorizing committee to look at what is working and what's not working under the Endangered Species Act. And let's fix it.

That's a far wiser course than including an extreme policy change that goes back on America's promise to protect our most vulnerable animals and plants and would not be supported by the American public.

I ask that we support the Dicks amendment, this bipartisan amendment, and make sure that we take this extreme policy out of the underlying bill.

I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

I thank the gentleman.

This is a shot. It is a shot at the endangered species. You and I both know how important this is in regard to the salmon in our district, something that is very, very important, something that is important to our economy and something that is important to the ecology of not only our State but the ecology of the Nation. We need to work together, and I can suggest that we remove this and get to working together.

I yield to the gentleman.

Remember, you are very well aware of the salmon issue and how there have been a number of attempts over the matter of water that, if they had been successful, had it not been for the Endangered Species Act, there wouldn't be any fish, because without water, as you know, there are no fish.

I thank the gentleman.

I yield to the gentleman.

I suggest we do it in the authorizing bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of community member Lucio E. Perez for being named Agriculturalist of the Year by the Napa County Farm Bureau.

Mr. Perez comes from a long history of working with Napa's bountiful soil. His grandfather, Mr. Lucio D. Perez, emigrated from Mexico and settled in the Napa Valley in the early 1930s and worked as an agricultural laborer. In 1935, the L. Perez & Sons Family Estates began growing wine grapes. The business was passed to his son Ezequiel, and later to his grandson Lucio, or as he is known throughout the valley, ``Cio.''

He attended St. Helena High School and later studied at Stanford University before transferring to the University of California--Davis, where he graduated with a degree in Enology & Viticulture. His first job outside of the family farm was with Beringer Brothers; assisting with the development of new vineyards, fertilizer, and pest management problems. Mr. Perez continues to manage L. Perez & Sons Vineyards, and also farms acreage in Conn Valley, Carneros and St. Helena. He produces zinfandel, chardonnay and, cabernet--reflecting the diverse terroirs of the Napa Valley appellations.

His passion for sustainable agriculture and protecting farmlands led him to work with the Napa County Farm Bureau in 1988, where he has served on the Board of Directors and as President. He has also participated on the California Farm Bureau Federation--Grape Advisory Committee, the Tax and Land Use Committee, and Finance Committee. Don Lucio Perez, his grandfather, founded a non-profit by the name of Comite Mexicano de Beneficiencia, where Mr. Perez has been an active member and past treasurer.

Being recognized as Agriculturalist of the Year by the Napa County Farm Bureau is an astounding achievement for someone who has dedicated their life to protecting and defending agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we acknowledge Mr. Lucio E. Perez for his years of devoted service to the Napa Valley community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jimmy Smith, chairman of the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (NCIRWMP) Policy Review Panel for 7 years, honoring his dedication to, and his achievements toward, healthy North Coast communities and ecosystems.

Mr. Smith has become known for his inclusiveness, diplomacy, and transparent leadership style through his work on the Policy Review Panel. He played a critical role in shepherding the North Coast through its first project prioritization process, helping the panel make difficult policy decisions to reduce the NCIRWMP's priority funding list from $50 to $25 million.

Mr. Smith led the panel through the unanimous adoption by the region's seven county Boards of Supervisors of the first and second phases of NCIRWMP. His leadership was instrumental in securing more than 70 signatories to the NCIRWMP Memorandum of Mutual Understanding.

Mr. Smith hosted the NCIRWMP's first Integrated Regional Water Management Conference, bringing more than 250 attendees to the North Coast region, representing over 50 entities comprised of local governments, tribes, legislators, agencies, watershed groups, providing a greater awareness of water management issues, watershed functions and future policy and funding opportunities.

Mr. Smith's oversight of the NCIRWMP top ranked proposals has brought more than $41 million to the North Coast. He worked for months on behalf of the entire North Coast community during the 2008 California ``bond freeze'' to minimize economic impact on disadvantaged communities and to ensure that the North Coast's priority infrastructure and environmental projects were able to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize my friend Jimmy Smith for his dedication and contributions to the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan and dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dennis Sisto on the occasion of his retirement as President and Chief Executive Officer of Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa County, California. Dennis' leadership will be truly missed by his colleagues, health care providers throughout the Napa Valley, and all of us in the community who have received superlative medical care from Queen of the Valley during his tenure.

Mr. Sisto has worked for the St. Joseph Health System for 24 years, the past 13 at Queen of the Valley. During his tenure, Mr. Sisto has served as a champion for the health and quality of life of the Napa Valley community. To respond to the needs of the underserved, he has guided Queen of the Valley through the creation of new healthcare services for persons with HIV/AIDS, cancer and congestive heart failure directed at individuals without health insurance or the ability to pay. His leadership has ushered in an unprecedented era of technological growth for healthcare services in the Valley, bringing such advancements as the robotic surgical system, a state-of-the-art linear accelerator for the treatment of cancer patients, an imaging center housing the world's finest diagnostic imaging equipment and a new Outpatient Surgery and Procedure Center.

To focus on improving community health and address higher than anticipated Napa County mortality rates for heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, Mr. Sisto has led the development process for the Queen of the Valley Medical Center's state of the art Wellness Center. The Wellness Center offers specialized programs directed at persons who need professional supervision to manage high health risks and chronic diseases. The creation of the Wellness Center represents a significant step forward for hospitals, allowing Queen of the Valley to expand its focus beyond acute care and offer preventive services as well as health maintenance programs.

Running a medical center in today's world can be a thankless and complex endeavor. It takes great integrity, a steady hand and a strong sense of humor to handle all of the challenges that present themselves to our hospital administrators. Mr. Sisto has all of these qualities in spades. He has been an invaluable partner in the process as we implement the Affordable Care Act on the local level.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to recognize Dennis Sisto for his many years of service to Napa and to thank him for his contributions to wellness and health care in our community. I join his wife, Judy, his entire family and our colleagues in wishing him the best as he enters this new phase of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I submit a copy of an amendment that I had hoped to introduce during the debate of H.R. 2219, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2012. However, I have learned that this important amendment would have been subject to a point of order and not be made in order.

My amendment would bar any funds in H.R. 2219 for the purposes of expanded training activities in the Navy's Northwest Training Range Complex (NWTRC). Once the Navy receives a new letter of authorization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), taking into account marine mammal ``takes,'' my amendment would then allow the Navy to use funds from this bill to expand their training operations in the NWTRC.

The Northwest Training Range Complex is a region of extraordinary biological diversity. It covers over 120,000 square nautical miles, spanning from Washington's border with Canada to waters off of my district in Northern California.

The Navy has used the NWTRC for training for the past 60 years. However, in October 2010, the Navy was permitted to expand training in the NWTRC that among other things involves increased use of mid- frequency active sonar.

As a military veteran, I strongly believe that sailors must have the training and experience they need to defend our country. However, I also believe that the Federal Government should follow science-based measures that will protect marine ecosystems and wildlife when the military pursues this necessary training.

Unfortunately, the use of mid-frequency active sonar is known to negatively impact marine mammals, especially toothed whales. And, its impact on many other fish species is not known.

NOAA conducted a comprehensive review of measures currently available to prevent harm to marine mammals from the use of sonar. One of the main findings of this review was that the most effective way to minimize impacts on marine mammals would be to protect important habitat, and NOAA is now coordinating a working group specifically to identify these areas within the NWTRC, also known as ``marine mammal hot spots.''

I have worked aggressively with constituents in my district to raise these issues to the Navy; however our concerns were simply dismissed without being addressed. In fact, the Navy has not been willing to consider avoiding or even limiting their training activities in specific areas that have been known to be heavily populated by marine mammals and other species and habitats, to reduce the impact of sonar training exercises on them.

That is why I wanted to introduce this amendment--to guarantee that these serious and scientifically valid concerns are actually considered and addressed before the Navy moves forward with their plans of expanding training activities in the NWTRC.

It is important to note that this amendment is not about stopping Navy training altogether, that some argue would negatively impact our national security and military readiness. Instead this amendment is about requiring the Navy to be more deliberate when moving forward to expand training range activities that would undoubtedly impact local marine habitat.

I am disappointed that this important amendment was going to be ruled out of order. However, I wanted to once again put on record my concerns about this expanded training and its impact on marine mammals and sensitive marine habitat. I will continue to work with stakeholder to address this important issue.

Amendment to H.R. 2219, as Reported Offered by Mr. Thompson of

California

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the

following:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Representative Lynn Woolsey, to honor the 100th birthday of an important community institution, the Boyes Hot Springs Post Office. On July 8, 1911, the Sonoma Index Tribune reported that ``A.D. Graham of Graham's Cash Store received the appointment as post master of Boyes Springs. Located at his store.''

The store, lost in a 1923 fire along with most of the town, was near the train depot at Boyes Boulevard and the Sonoma Highway (Hwy 12). After rapid rebuilding, the post office was located in the Woodleaf Store (now a diner that is part of the Sonoma Mission Inn) until 1951, when its current site was built at the Plaza Center at Boyes Boulevard and Sonoma Highway.

This site, previously known as the Boyes Springs Plaza, had been the scene of street parties and fiestas. Now, redevelopment plans include a public plaza in the surrounding space, reviving it as a place for celebration.

Boyes Hot Springs has a lively history, integral to the fabric of the Sonoma Valley. Formerly the center of a great resort area, it hosted thousands of visitors during its heyday. There were dozens of resorts, from small motor courts to the grand Sonoma Mission Inn. The Boyes Bath House boasted the second largest indoor swimming pool in the country. And, for many years, the area was a training ground for professional football and baseball teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco Seals.

After the demise of the passenger railroad, the area still thrived with the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the rise of the automobile. Boyes Springs real estate man L.E. ``Bud'' Castner was one of the first directors of the Golden Gate Bridge District.

In the 1960s, as the resorts faded, Boyes Hot Springs faded a bit as well. Community pride, however, never waned. The area became attractive in the 1980s and 1990s to home buyers who were priced out of the Bay area market. Attracted by its rural charm, they purchased its large stock of charming cottages to rehabilitate. At the same time, the population of Mexican immigrants grew, attracted principally by the grape growing and wine businesses.

To old timers and new residents alike, the post office is the center of the community. Since most of the surrounding streets receive no mail delivery, residents make a daily trip to the post office where they catch up on the latest local news with their friends and neighbors. The immigrant population relies on it for communication with their families back home. The postal workers are personally known to all, a part of the broader community family.

Mr. Speaker, the community is hosting a celebration to honor this anniversary. In the words of one of the organizers, Michael Acker of the Springs Community All, it will ``salute the past, show appreciation for service, and look to the future with hope.'' Please join us in honoring the centennial of the Boyes Hot Springs Post Office.