- 07.14.2016
Bill to name Diekmann peak introduced
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Montana’s congressional delegation has introduced a bill to name a Madison range peak after a Bozeman conservationist who died earlier this year.
The bill, which was introduced on Wednesday, would name an unnamed peak in the Madison range after Alex Diekmann. Diekmann was a project manager for the Trust for Public Land for 16 years and worked on more than 55 projects that encompassed more than 100,000 acres. The 52-year-old died of cancer earlier this year.
A groundswell of conservation groups and local governments began pushing for naming a peak after Diekmann not long after his death. Naming peaks after people can either happen through an administrative process or through congressional designation. Maddy Pope, a senior project manager for the Trust for Public Land, said they wanted to have it done through legislation because it could happen much sooner.
Supporters reached out to members of the Montana delegation to get their support for the idea, and Pope said they knew a bill was coming but didn’t know exactly when.
The bill was announced Wednesday in a joint news release sent by all three members of Montana’s congressional delegation.
In the release, Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said he “couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Alex’s life and memory than by naming a peak in his honor.” Democratic Sen. Jon Tester said in the release that it was “incredibly fitting to name a wild Montana peak after Alex.” Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke said in the release that Diekmann’s “legacy will be remembered in perpetuity.”
Supporters of the naming include county commissions from both Madison and Gallatin counties, the city of Whitefish and a number of conservation and hunting groups. Pope said that the widespread support for the idea is a testament to the reach of his work.
“I think that the impact of his work just touched so many communities,” Pope said.
Diekmann worked on projects in different states and was well known locally for his work in the Madison Valley. He was involved in projects concerning Three Dollar Bridge, O’Dell Creek and a land deal on the Sun Ranch. He also completed projects on the Gallatin and in areas of Northwestern Montana.
The last project he worked on, concerning Haskill Basin near Whitefish, finalized shortly after his death.
“He was willing to take on these very big and complex projects and work through the pieces that had to come together,” Pope said.