Kevin Kiley: “I wish to mark and celebrate the 75-year anniversary of the Death Valley '49ers. For more than seven decades, this…”

“I wish to mark and celebrate the 75-year anniversary of the Death Valley '49ers. For more than seven decades, this volunteer, nonprofit organization has been dedicated to raising public awareness and preserving the history and natural beauty of Death Valley National Park, the Nation's largest conserved desert landscape. The Death Valley '49ers had its beginning in 1949, when it produced a historical pageant in Death Valley to highlight the spirit of the California pioneers. Since then, the Death Valley '49ers have sponsored an annual encampment each November to celebrate this pioneer spirit and the highly valued national resource of Death Valley. Through their efforts to both protect the rare desert environment and famed recreational space, this organization has played a pivotal role in educating the public on the history of Death Valley in the settlement of the west. In addition to sponsoring the annual encampment, they are also involved with a variety of projects that support Death Valley and the surrounding community, including hosting art shows and musical events, providing scholarships and educational opportunities for local students, publishing books and other communications about the park, assisting in renovation projects, spearheading monument and State landmark efforts, and maintaining contact with the Timbisha-Shoshone Tribe.…”