[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 11278-11279] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO JAMES P. BECKWOURTH MOUNTAIN CLUB ______ HON. MARK UDALL of colorado in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 20, 2001 Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women of the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club. The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club is a Denver-based outdoor organization that works with and exposes urban youth to the outdoors through a number of education programs. The group takes inner city children to national parks and wilderness areas to allow them to experience first hand the joys and the challenges of nature. This experience teachers them an appreciation for the natural world that they might not otherwise ever gain. Those of us fortunate enough to grow up experiencing the outdoors know the invaluable education that can be obtained through these adventures. As director of the Colorado Outward Bound School, I have been fortunate enough to see directly the benefits that young people can take away from their outdoor experiences. The challenges that they face in these types of programs can provide them with the self-respect and sense of accomplishment that are antidotes for much of the anger and frustration that all too often erupts in violence. Groups like the Beckwourth Mountain Club are instrumental in ensuring that our urban youth are exposed to more positive, character-building experiences. The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club is part of the Rocky Mountain National Park's Corps of Discovery Program. This program has allowed the group to develop a close, working relationship with the park where numerous youths have participated in hikes, snowshoe walks, and camping trips. As a result of their outstanding work and their on-going partnership with the national park, the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club recently was awarded the ``Shoulder-to-Shoulder Award'' by the National Park Service. Mr. Speaker, I ask today that my colleagues join me in applauding the efforts of the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club. At a time when our children are bombarded with images of violence, the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club strives to replace those images with traits that will allow our children to peacefully coexist with one another. Mr. Speaker, I am attaching a copy of the National Park Service's press materials about this award and the Club. National Park Service Presents ``Shoulder-to-Shoulder Award'' to the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club Denver. On May 16, 2001, Ms. Cheryl Armstrong, Executive Director, and Mr. Michael Richardson, Program Director with The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club, were presented a ``Shoulder-to-Shoulder Award'' in recognition for their valued partnership with the National Park Service. The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club is a Denver-based outdoor organization named in honor of famed 19th century trapper and trader, James P. Beckwourth. Born in 1798 in Virginia, the son of a slavewoman in the early 1800's, Beckwourth was unwilling to accept the confines of slavery. Instead he set out to make a small place in history for himself. Beckwourth went west into the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains and joined a western expedition led by General William H. Ashley. This was the beginning of his fantastic career as an explorer, Indian scout, fur trapper, prospector, and War Chief of the Crow Indian Nation. His name is memorialized in California where he pioneered a trail in the Sierra Nevada range known as Beckwourth Pass. The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club works with and exposes urban youth to the outdoors through a number of programs including educational opportunities and field trips. The Club opened The James P. Beckwourth Outdoor Education Center in 1998. As part of Rocky Mountain National Park's Corps of Discovery Program, The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club has developed and maintained a close working relationship with Rocky Mountain National Park, where a number of youth and adults have participated in numerous field trips, hikes, snowshoe walks, and camping trips in the park. As a result of this program, children of Denver's African American neighborhoods have had the opportunity to enjoy our national parks, and have gained a good understanding of life and history of James P. Beckwourth. ``I am proud to recognize The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club as a valued partner of the National Park Service as well as for their hard work in breaking new trails for our children and helping us keep national parks meaningful and relevant to a new generation of Americans,'' stated Regional Director Karen Wade. The ``Shoulder-to-Shoulder Award'' was presented to Ms. Cheryl Armstrong and Mr. Michael Richardson, on behalf of The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club in Keystone, Colorado, where leaders and managers of the National Park Service met with partners, tribal representatives, sister agencies of the federal and state government, cooperating associations, foundation and university representatives, and private citizens during the [[Page 11279]] Intermountain Region's General Conference entitled ``Stewardships: The Art of Collaboration.'' Awards were presented to a number of individuals and partners who have worked long and hard with the National Park Service towards accomplishing the common goals of preservation and protection of natural and cultural resources within our national parks. ____________________