U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary

Stephanie Hanna (202) 208-6416


For Release: June 25, 1996

"I am deeply grateful to Congressman Don Young for his leadership in introducing legislation in the House of Representatives to name one of the most awe-inspiring wilderness areas in the United States after Mollie Beattie.

"This wilderness spans the heights of the majestic Brooks Range, towering over the seasonal pageant of migrating wildlife along the Arctic coastal plain i n the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I think it most appropriately symbolizes Mollie's spirit: wilder, more powerful and more free from the influence of man than anywhere else in America. Alaska is a place that enchanted Mollie in her duties as Director of the Fish & Wildlife Service, and it is a place where she longed to return.

"As Congressman Young and Alaska Senators Murkowski and Stevens know, Alaska is perhaps the most spectacular and beautiful place on earth. I appreciate their willingness to share this place forever with Mollie's spirit, and it is my fervent hope that this legislation passes on a fast track and that President Clinton can sign it into law immediately."

-DOI-

Note: Mollie H. Beattie served as Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from September 10, 1993, until Secretary Babbitt reluctantly accepted her decision to leave the Department of the Interior on June 5. She had previously returned to the Service after medical leave following two serious operations for brain cancer in the past year. She was the first woman Director of the Fish & Wildlife Service, and fought for protection of endangered species and strengthening the stewardship of the National Wildlife Refuge System. She and her husband, Rick Schwolsky, are residents of Vermont.