Congress Passes Bill To Rename Montana Peak After Alex Diekmann

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.

SOURCE The Trust For Public Land