tions.SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING STATEMENTS FOR NAMING SHARSMITH PEAK--posted on Name4Carl Website Back to Home page
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1) DR.
DALLAS L. PECK , deceased, former Director, U.S. Geological Survey:
October 15,
2003: "I think it's very appropriate to name some
geographic feature in Yosemite after Carl."
November 12,
2003: "Looks to me you have pretty compelling reasons to
proceed with 12002...Sharsmith Peak has a nice ring to it."
2) ELIZABETH STONE O'NEILL, Groveland, California, Yosemite author and
Sharsmith biographer:
January 14, 2004: "By
having the name [Sharsmith Peak] continually in evidence, it will provide a
way of bringing Carl's message to those who did not know him--his message of
love for the natural environment and of ongoing scientifically based inquiry
into the ways of the wild."
3) RICHARD E. ZSCHEILE, Aptos, California, Tuolumne Meadows park
visitor since 1948 and advocate of Sharsmith naming at least since1977.
October 26, 2006: "I met
Dr. Sharsmith in 1948, and saw him frequently, having been to Tuolumne
Meadows nearly every year since 1948... He slowly became my most admired
person in the world. He influenced thousands of visitors with his
expertise of botany and appreciation of nature... Sharsmith deserves a peak
to be named after him."
4) OFFICE
OF
SUPERINTENDENT, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
December 7, 1977:
"...it would be a most deserving reward to name a mountain peak or lake
after Dr. Sharsmith."--Superintendent Arnberger
November 21, 1979: "...action
is now underway to introduce a Congressional bill to name a peak in Yosemite
National Park after Dr. Sharsmith...Geographic features cannot be named for
living persons [in] the normal procedure...However we recently learned of
the Congressional option that the Yosemite Natural History Association is
pursuing. It is our hope that the legislative process will be expedited so
that the formal designation of the peak will materialize soon...He is a rare
individual and he truly deserves the recognition"--Superintendent Binnewies
Circa 1980 (memo to Director,
National Park Service): "The Yosemite Natural History Association proposes
to carry out the necessary paperwork to propose the naming of a mountain
peak in Yosemite National Park after Dr. Carl Sharsmith...In order to
facilitate the process during his lifetime, it has been suggested that we go
through the Congress. Therefore, YNHA proposes to provide Congressman Coelho
with the necessary material to support the introduction of a bill. Please
let me know if you concur."--Superintendent Binnewies
August 18, 1980: "...we
informed you that the Yosemite Natural History Association was promoting
Congressional action to name a peak in Yosemite for Dr. Sharsmith...The
result of that effort was not the authorization sought...The Association is
now pursuing that original objective... We'll be happy to let you know
whether this attempt leads to the designation of Mt. Sharsmith or Sharsmith
Peak."--signed by William N. Burgen for Superintendent Binnewies
5) DON
BALDWIN,
Santa Rosa, California. former minister of
Yosemite Chapel, Christian Ministry in the National Parks
November 17, 2003: "...for
naming a feature for Carl Sharsmith...I didn't have much to contribute
except my enthusiasm for the idea!"
6) DR.
CARL SHARSMITH, 1903-1994, Yosemite ranger-naturalist and San Jose
State University Professor of Botany
January 20, 1977:
"Again, in connection with naming a peak or any other landmark...I'm not
opposed to your, Bob's Marilyn's, and Eileen's proposition [to name a peak
for Carl]. Furthermore, to be asked if I have a preference for some one or
other point is an honor, too! The one you mentioned (pk. at s. end Kuna
Crest, 12,106') would be wonderful. In the 50's...I thought of an un-named
peak an airline mile or so southwest of Mt. Lyell. I looked at it more than
once when I took parties up Mt. Lyell. Its altitude on my old maps (I don't
have one of the 15-minute ones) is about 12,700'. What a dandy one that
would be!"--quoted by Henry Berrey in letter of July 11, 1980 to Congressman
Tony Coelho.
August 26, 1991: After asking
Carl if a peak was to be named for him, Bill Jones noted on a file card,
"Sharsmith Peak will be point 12002 north of Granite Lake." (Oral
communication to Bill Jones)
November 5, 2006: (conversation
recalled with Carl by Michael Ross)--"I knew that Carl wanted a peak named
after him...I asked Carl if he would like 12,002 to be Sharsmith Peak and he
was very enthusiastic about that choice...I talked to Dick Ewart and other
Naturalists in Tuolumne...We all thought it was a great choice and started
calling it Sharsmith Peak."
7)
CATHERINE ROSE
June 5, 2006: "May your
project thrive! Fare Forward."
10)
YOSEMITE ASSOCIATION
(now Yosemite Conservancy), El Portal, California
September 8, 1976: "It's
my greatest ambition to start the process grinding to have a Yosemite
mountain named for [Dr. Sharsmith]"--Henry Berrey
August 20, 1980: "I do hope
we can cut through the red tape and get a mountain named for this fine
man..."--Henry Berrey
January 7, 2002: "The
board of the association discussed the matter at its last meeting, and has
agreed to endorse the plan [to name a Sharsmith Peak]...The Yosemite
Association would lend its name and support to the initiative, and also
notify our members about it." [letter from Steve Medley, President.]
September 9, 2006: at its
annual meeting, the Board of the Yosemite Association endorsed the proposal
once again. Before a letter reporting this action could be prepared,
however, President Steve Medley died in an auto accident.
JULY 16, 2007: "On behalf of the Yosemite Association, we wish to express
our enthusiastic support for the naming of peak 12,002 in honor of the late
Dr. Carl W. Sharsmith. Our Board of Trustees voted unanimously to endorse
this proposal..." letter from Christina Holloway as Chair, Board of
Trustees, and David J. Guy as Chief Executive Officer.
11) DR.
N. KING HUBER, deceased, Mountain View, California, Geologist
Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey, author of Geologic History of Yosemite
National Park.
September 23, 2003:
"Carl's contributions to the lore of Yosemite were outstanding and he is as
deserving of having a Mountain Peak named for him as was Ansel Adams.
Indeed, over time Carl left a lasting personal imprint on more park visitors
than Ansel ever did...I would be willing to provide an endorsement.."
October 6, 2006: "I
wholeheartedly support naming a peak overlooking his beloved Tuolumne
Meadows for Carl Sharsmith."
12) DOUGLASS H. HUBBARD,deceased, Fredericksburg, Texas, Yosemite Chief Park Naturalist 1955-1966, NPS Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services at Washington Office 1966-68, Manager NPS Harpers Ferry Design Center1969-1970, publisher. Deceased, photo:
December 23, 2003:
"During a 30-year career with the National Park Service I observed and
worked with many ranger-naturalists. In my opinion none surpassed Carl
Sharsmith. I attended many of his campfire programs. I climbed to the summit
of Mt. Lyell with him and spent seven days with him on the High Sierra Loop
Trail. Park visitors loved him and he loved teaching them in his
distinctive, folksy style. Nothing could be more natural than to name
a peak for him among the High Sierra flowers he knew better than anyone."
April 27, 2006: "Carl was
magical in the true sense of the word. He brought a new meaning and
appreciation of nature to thousands of park visitors. In our world of
turmoil few mountain peaks have been named for individuals who knew and
admired them for most of a lifetime as Carl did. Even though future visitors
will not know this peaceful man, it is fitting that a peak he loved and
which they will enjoy should bear his name."
JUNE 4, 2007: "In a career of 45 years as a park naturalist and museum
director with the National Park Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife I can
say without hesitancy that I never worked with a better naturalist than Carl
Sharsmith...Many Yosemite peaks bear names of famous personages...But I
don't know of a single one that was named for a man who brought
understanding of nature to the thousands who walked with him as did Carl
Sharsmith."
13)
WAYNE MERRY, deceased, Atlin, British Columbia, Canada, former Yosemite
National Park climbing school director, former park naturalist and ranger at
Tuolumne Meadows, former Chief Ranger of Olympic and 
Mount McKinley (now
Denali) National Parks, world-class mountaineer and mountain rescue and
first aid expert, author, plant taxonomy student of Carl Sharsmith
May 7, 2006:
"While I am normally opposed to naming peaks
for individuals...most of us feel that people like Carl, who have spent
their lives educating, enthralling, delighting and getting people in touch
with their environment deserved to bestow their names on the places they
have so profoundly inhabited. He discovered a number of new species in the
Yosemite Sierra as well as bringing countless thousands of people to an
appreciation of the range and its biota. I have no doubt that his lessons
have spread to millions by now."
14)
BUTCH FARABEE, former Tuolumne Meadows District Ranger at Yosemite
National Park, author of National Park Ranger: an American Icon
November 30, 2006: "It would
be a fitting testimonial to the national park ideal for future, young
interpreters to stand in this mountain's shadow--and...point toward the
granite prominence off in the distance and to their young charges, say "And
there is Sharsmith Peak!"
15)
BRYAN HARRY, Honolulu, Hawaii, former Chief Park Naturalist and
Valley District Manager, Yosemite National Park, former NPS Regional
Director
May 25, 2006: "I regard
Sharsmith as the greatest interpreter of the wild and scientific values of
the high Sierra since John Muir...By happenstance Carl’s tenure in Yosemite
corresponded with the park’s continual quest to understand and manage meadow
encroachment by forests, fuel buildup during times of maximum fire control,
visitor crowdedness damaging wilderness, air pollution dimming the vibrant
visibility of the Sierra viewscapes, and over-development of visitor
facilities. His was the constant voice rationally interpreting these
concerns to the public... My own love of the Sierra is a thousand fold more
profound--for I was educated by Carl Sharsmith."
16)
DEBRA PLANT, Auburn, California, assistant to City Manager, Rocklin,
California:
May 23, 2006: "...how
[will] the world []be made a better place by labeling the peak
'Sharsmith'[?} When my children and grandchildren travel to [the area], I
can point out the peak and tell the tale of Dr. Sharsmith...who, for years,
gave himself to [the area] to make others love it and care for it as it
should be. In my town, when the school kids come for a tour of a City
facility named after one of the 'old-timers", they hear of the good deeds
and the integrity of that individual...I hope that the voices raised in [Dr.
Sharsmith's] memory...bring about the naming of Sharsmith Peak...so the
tales can be told, and children can lift up their eyes to ideals greater
than they have not yet even imagined."
17) DR.
F. OWEN HOFFMAN, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, former Crater Lake, Zion, and
Yosemite National Parks Naturalist, former student of Carl Sharsmith, now
President of Senes Oak Ridge Center for Risk Analysis
May 23, 2006:
"It was during [summer 1966 at Crater Lake
National Park]...that I first learned of Dr. Sharsmith's legendary
reputation among park naturalists throughout the National Park System.
Several of our most veteran naturalists at Crater Lake had been trained by
Dr. Sharsmith in Tuolumne Meadows...During the summer of 1969...at Zion
National Park..I would meet other NPS personnel and park visitors who would
share with me their inspirational experiences while hiking with or attending
an evening program conducted by 'the great' Carl Sharsmith...Dr. Sharsmith's
ability to communicate his passion for the aesthetic qualities of the
Tuolumne wilderness was a gift on par with the writings of John Muir and the
photographs of Ansel Adams...The unnamed mountain, Peak 12002, has been
informally known among many park visitors and park employees as Sharsmith
Peak. I am requesting that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names formally
consider the name Sharsmith Peak for this feature to honor the memory of
this great human being and to preserve his legacy."
18)
ROGER G. KENNEDY, deceased, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Director, National Park
Service (1993-1997), Director (1979 to 1992) (now Director Emeritus), National Museum of American History
of Smithsonian Institution,
author of seventeen books, had two television series on theDiscovery
Channel, another on PBS, and a radio series on NBC. He has been awarded many
honorary degrees, and is an honorary member of the American Association of
Architects. Deceased.
June 29, 2006: "[Dr.
Sharsmith] is already a lesson for those who are told about him, as I was
when I first came to Yosemite as [NPS] Director--we should use the naming
process to make him a lesson for a lot more people."
19) BILL
WENDT, Midpines, California, former Yosemite Chief Ranger
April 24, 2006: "I took
one of Carl's three day flower identification trips sponsored by the
Yosemite Natural History Association and was entranced. His botanizing
demonstrated a most complete knowledge about plants, but what captured my
attention was his enthusiasm, good humour and ability to capture my
imagination and impart a desire to learn more. I am in total support of
naming a peak after Carl Sharsmith. I know of no one who more deserves
it...Here was a real gentleman with a tremendous exuberance for life and
living things..."
20) LEN
MCKENZIE, Mariposa, California, former Chief Park Naturalist,
Yosemite National Park (1974-1992)
May 31, 2006: "This gentle
man's interpretive programs, his scientific contributions to the body of
knowledge of Yosemite and his selfless, humble efforts to enhance visitors'
appreciation of the park's intrinsic attributes were as significant as John
Muir's writings and Ansel Adams' photographs in influencing people's
perception of Yosemite. Both Muir and Adams have mulitiple landscape
features named for them. Dr. Sharsmith deserves the honor of at least one
namesake landmark to symbolize his legacy, a legacy that many who can never
know the man will recognize as significant to the preservation of Yosemite
and the High Sierra...I'm convinced that no individual deserves this
recognition more..."
21)
ELIZABETH A. KERR, Silverthorne, Colorado, Partner, VistaBooks,
L.L.C. publishing company of Americana:
June 5, 2006: "I have
successfully raised two boys into productive society, in the process working
with their schools and with them and their peers in their boy scout troop as
well as self-teaching my boys while we lived in foreign countries, and I
have therefore seen the need for the intricacy and delicacy and enthusiasm
on the part of leaders that encourages interest and understanding. Dr.
Sharsmith excelled in providing these and I feel that we should not only
honor him in our memory but recall his methods to our youth so they might
aspire to similar effectiveness as their lives unfold...I have four
grandchildren of my own and when the time is right hope to tell them of
Sharsmith Peak and its namesake so, through his example, they may gain
motivation to learn and grow in their knowledge and thinking. Near where I
live we remember John Wesley Powell's explorations and studies more because
we have Mount Powell. In my state we also have Longs Peak and Pikes Peak and
many others that remind us of our American heritage..May there soon be a
Sharsmith Peak that will remind us of the value of education and science
that Dr. Sharsmith stood for..."
22) BOB
KAUNE, Port Angeles, Washington, former Yosemite naturalist
June 6, 2006: "My reason for
proposing this name for [Sharsmith Peak] is that Carl Sharsmith was in the
same league as John Muir, Joseph LeConte and other notable wilderness minded
persons that influenced public attitudes in managing and protecting the
resources of the Sierra Nevada Range of California..Naming of the peak for
him would reinforce his commitment in life as an example for others."
23) BOB
BARBEE, deceased, Bozeman, Montana, former Yosemite ranger, naturalist, and
resources manager. NPS Alaska Regional Director, Superintendent Yellowstone,
Redwood, Hawaii Volcanoes, Cape Hatteras, and Cape Lookout National Parks
and Seashores:
June 5, 2006: "A fitting
tribute would be naming this feature, Sharsmith Peak, as a beacon for future
generations to contemplate the value of, and commitment to thoughtful action
for saving wild places and their native inhabitants."
24) DR.
DEBORAH WILLIAMS, Sarasota, Florida, doctor of oriental and
homeophathic medicine
June 11, 2006: "As a
professional in the field of Oriental Medicine and Homeopathic Medicine,
where natural herbs are used to effect cures of certain maladies, I found
Dr. Sharsmith's understanding of the uses of plants...fascinating...To
actually have the plants pointed out to me in their native habitats, with
their individual requirements as to moisture, temperature, and exposure
explained, makes prescribing them to my patients far more
meaningful...Naming a Yosemite peak for Dr. Sharsmith...would help keep
alive not only the memory of Dr. Sharsmith but of his ways of inspiring
others in fields not only in his own botany, but in other applications of
botanical knowledge such as my own field."
25) B.J.
GRIFFIN, San Francisco, California, former Yosemite National Park
superintendent, Castillo San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments
Superintendent, presently Executive Director The Marine Mammal Center
(Sausalito, CA):
June 13, 2006: "We speak
of people as 'legends in their own time,' but I suspect that Carl embodied
that beyond contemporary meaning. He changed lives, and by modeling his
devotion to the natural world, he inspired thousands of ambassadors to save
it. By naming the peak Sharsmith Peak, these and future generations will
carry on the inspiration and devotion to saving our natural world. It was my
honor to have served as Superintendent of Yosemite during the time of Ranger
Sharsmsith. This was a rare privilege indeed and one for which I shall
always feel blessed."
26) JACK
MOREHEAD, Morro Bay, California, former Superintendent Yosemite
National Park 1986-1989
May 28, 2006: "Naming
a feature in Yosemite for [Carl] would serve as an inspiring reminder to
future generations of the dedication and expertise of an individual who, for
6 decades, devoted his summers to explain, educate, and demonstrate to
others the uniqueness and importance of Yosemite's natural resources...I
fully support the proposal. And finally, since the feature identified in the
proposal is currently unnamed, but is already commonly called Sharsmith
Peak, I feel officially naming the feature would be totally appropriate."
27) DR.
ALLAN SHIELDS, Clovis, California, former Tuolumne Meadows
ranger-naturalist:
June 8, 2006:
"[Carl was] a nature guru
with an uncommon ability to convey his love of natural things, he was
instrumental in developing a unique program of hands-on instruction,
influencing thousands. Over fifty friends, park associates, relatives, and
admirers contributed to the festschrift dedicated to Carl:
Climb Every Mountain: A Portrait of Carl
Sharsmith. [This entire work is supporting testimony
to the effort to name some park prominence for Carl--ed.]
As a colleague of Carl's for over four decades on and off the trail, I wish
to add my support to this effort to commemorate his name up there in the
snowy heights along with names such as Dana, Lyell, McClure, Darwin, Eisen,
etc.."
28)
GEORGE DURKEE, Twain Harte, California, former Yosemite naturalist,
now Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park wilderness ranger and editor of
online Sierra Nature Notes:
May 9, 2006: [Carl} was a
huge influence on my career as a backcountry ranger...No one in the last
century was more knowledgeable about Yosemite's natural history or more
closely identified with a place--Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite--as Dr.
Sharsmith. No one has spent more time hiking the trails, meadows, and peaks
of the Tuolumne region than Carl--not Ansel Adams or the Yosemite geologist
Francois Matthes or even John Muir himself...Peak 12,002 north of Tioga Pass
is already informally called Sharsmith Peak..It was Carl who was one of the
inspirations for me to revive Yosemite Nature Notes (published from about
1920 to 1980) as an online journal so people could gain a deeper
appreciation of the Sierra and work to preserve it. I don't think his unique
combination of detailed scientific knowledge of a place, the ability to
teach and excite others about the Sierra, and such a life-long commitment to
a place will occur again. His life was an inspiration to all who knew him.
Naming Sharsmith Peak in the heart of the Tuolumne region of Yosemite will
enable that memory to be kept alive to inspire others.
29) BOB
FRY, deceased, Groveland, California, Yosemite ranger-naturalist, 1960-circa
2003:
June 10, 2006: "I think
(and feel) that an exception should be made in the naming of a peak for our
friend. Carl's contribution to the lore of the Sierra Mountains exceeds
ninety percent of those personages who have their appellations attached to
lakes (mostly wives, daughters, and sweethearts), and to mountains (various
men involved with mapping, trail-building, administrating, etc.)"
]une 21, 2006:"We used to
disdainfully tell visitors that Giant Sequoias, lakes, and mountains should
be appreciated for their intrinsic beauty, awesome size, exquisite setting,
and uniqueness. Now I believe that names on special features have nothing to
do with the nature of the feature itself. Those names, however, do honor
individuals on the map, and they very handily serve as a reference to
visitors and guides who need to communicate their interests or exploits to
each other...There are three brief reasons that are important to me in
recommending that peak 12002 bear the name of "Mount Sharsmith." The first
reason has to do with Carl's own history. His work in Yosemite and the
Sierra spanned nearly 64 years...Almost all investigators in plant life,
geology, zoology, or invertebrate biology who came to Yosemite would consult
with Carl about where and when to observe certain things in their fields of
interest... The second reason has to do with the personality and character
of Carl the man. He was endeared as a patient teacher and as a friendly
expositor...The third reason, which is first in priority, has to do with
Carl's scientific accomplishments...Carl/s work was both taxonomic and
ecological (years before the field of ecology was recognized in
universities)...Carl contributed greatly to understanding the origins of our
high-mountain plants...If there are any objections to the proposal to
exchange a mountain's number for a human name because of policy, tradition,
or authority, I hope this recommendation will warrant an exception."
30)
FORMER COLORADO STATE REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR ANDY
KERR, Lakewood, Colorado, District 26:
June 20, 2006: "Dr.
Sharsmith's contributions in Yosemite National Park and at San Jose State
University, both in California, in the educational field were on a scope
that gives them national importance. Recognizing these contributions in the
form of a mountain named for him in the area where he did his work will
remind us now and in the future of the value of education and inspire others
to his standards and dedication. We know that the educational field often
lacks remunerative rewards available in other pursuits, making it all the
more important to provide other means of recognition...I find that not only
should the mountain be formally named Sharsmith Peak, it would be a mistake
not to so name it. Do not lose this opportunity."
31) BILL
DUNMIRE, Placitas, New Mexico, former Yosemite climber and park
naturalist, Chief Naturalist of the National Park Service, and park
superintendent Coulee Dam National Recreation Area and Carlsbad Caverns
National Park, author
July 10, 2006: "In view of
the fact that over Dr. Sharsmith's long and distinguished career at Yosemite
National Park he became known as 'Mr. Wilderness Educator' himself, it is
particularly appropriate to name this wilderness summit for the man...By the
time I served as Chief of Interpretation...in the 1970s, Carl Sharsmith's
legacy was established and well-known by the Directorate in Washington,
D.C...Today...I am ever more impressed with the Sharsmith legacy as one of
our nation's premier naturalist-educators of the twentieth century, and I am
persuaded that his legacy will stand the test of time."
32) DR.
L. MAYNARD MOE, Bakersfield, California, Professor of Biology,
California State University:
July 20, 2006: "For the
past several years park visitors and employees have informally referred to
the mountain [Peak 12,002] as 'Sharsmith Peak'...I recall when I was a child
[Dr. Sharsmith] showed me an alpine columbine and told me how hummingbirds
pollinated it. That undoubtedly planted in me a see of interest in botany
that eventually lead to my professional career as a field botanist here at
CSU Bakersfield. I strongly support the petition..."
33)
LYNDEL MEIKLE, Dear Lodge, Montana, Park Ranger, Grant-Kohrs Ranch
National Historic Site:
May 8, 2006: "Dr. Carl
Sharsmith was an inspiration...but perhaps his most lasting influence was on
the rangers...We learned more than botany and its place in the ecology of
alpine terrain. We learned that deeper knowledge led, inevitably, to deeper
passion...His lasting influence deserves lasting recognition."
34)
DANIEL ANDERSON, San Diego, California, ski mountaineer:
July 31, 2006: "My reason
for proposing this name [Sharsmith Peak] ...is for safety reasons. This peak
is a popular destination for backcountry ski mountaineers in winter and
spring. This community...informally call the peak 'False White Mountain
Peak' or just 'False White'...How does naming this peak promote
safety?...'Sharsmith Peak' avoids confusion with the real 'White Mountain'
peak to the north, which can make it impossible for groups to meet up at the
same point [and} Can cause confusion with rescue and safety personnel
heading for the unidentified peak (Sharsmith Peak). Winter storms can be
fierce in the region...Naming the peak will reduce confusion and mistakes in
potentially hazardous conditions. My association with the feature in
question is cross-country ski mountaineering travel in Winter and Spring in
the Yosemite/Tioga Pass area for over twenty years has given me a
perspective on safety and recreation issues of the region."
35)
RICHARD SMITH, Placitas, New Mexico, former Tuolumne Meadows ranger
with service at many other parks and NPS regional office plus international
activities
August 1, 2006: "[Dr.
Sharsmith] sold park visitors on the importance of preserving and protecting
Yosemite National Park and other units of the National Park System...I don't
think I have ever seen a naturalist as dedicated and committed as Dr.
Sharsmith to sharing the information he knew with others. It only seems
appropriate that we name a peak in the Sierras, a place he loved above all
others, for him in honor of his work in keeping the park safe for future
generations of visitors."
FEBRUARY 28, 2013: Rick Smith now believes that
"[Carl]
was a modest man who hated to call attention to himself," saying
that Carl would not be in favor of it. Mr. Smith's
opinion is opposite to research that documents Carl's agreement for a peak to be named for him and
his expectation that the peak proposed would be so named. This research is
presented in the Name4Carl.org website.
36)EDWIN
ROCKWELL, Bishop, California, retired forester, Inyo National
Forest:
August 7, 2006: "I propose
the formal name...Sharsmith Peak...because it's in the area where he spent
much time studying the plant life and conducted field trips; Carl was the
grand old man of Yosemite and folks from all over U.S. remember his natural
history field trips."
37) ALLEN BERREY, Bishop, California, raised in Yosemite Valley,
Assistant County Counsel Mono County:
September 22, 2006: "In
urging...approval of this proposal I speak not only for myself but also on
behalf of my late mother and father--Henry and Eileen Berrey--both of whom
lived and worked for many years in Yosemite...my father was instrumental in
transforming and developing the [Yosemite Natural History] Association into
its current status as the major [non-governmental] provider of interpretive
services, publications, and funding to the Park Service in Yosemite...my
mother Eileen embarked, equally successfully, on a second career as a park
information specialist for the National Park Service...I have revered Dr.
Sharsmsith; our family considered him to truly be a 'man to match the
mountains.' My parents' admiration for Dr. Sharsmith led them in 1976 to
become involved in the effort to have his legacy...recognized by having a
peak in Yosemite named after him; this was the genesis of the current
effort...It is my understanding that applicable federal policies look with
disfavor on proposals to name features within federally-designated
wilderness areas. I would point out, however, that the proposed Sharsmsith
Peak lies on the border of Yosemite's wilderness, not within it, and that
the eastern portion of the peak is in non-wilderness U.S. Forest Service
lands...I see no legal or policy-based impediment to your Board's
consideration and approval of this proposal."
FEBRUARY 14, 2013: Allen Berrey was a member of the
Name4Carl and Name4Carl/Sharsmith Peak Committees.
38) DAVID MIHALIC,
Missoula, Montana, former Superintendent Yosemite
National Park (1999-2003):
September 21, 2006:
"Carl
Sharsmith's reputation was widely known both in and out of the National Park
Service. Long before I became Superintendent of Yosemite National Park,
while I was still a young ranger in Glacier and Yellowstone national parks,
Carl Sharsmith was held up as a model for others who wished to really connect park visitors to the wonders and intrinsic values of national parks.
Park visitors came to associate Carl Sharsmith's name--not the name of
superintendents or chief rangers--with Yosemite. He was that good! I urge
the Board to name peak 12,002..Sharsmith Peak."
39)
Upper Merced River
Watershed Council, Mariposa, California
October 30, 2006: "Our reason for proposing this name [Sharsmith
Peak]...is to establish a visual inspiration to present and future citizens
to emulate Dr. Sharsmith and match his passion for learning and teaching and
his credibility, courage, and tenacity in guiding those who manage the
environment...Individuals in management positions with the National Park
Service have extolled Dr. Sharsmith's methods and his persistence in
applying his vast knowledge to efforts that resulted in improved management
practices regarding high country areas that include the Merced River
Watershed. It is only fitting to honor Dr. Sharsmith for his lifetime of
work in the Sierra."
40) ROBERT O. "BOB" BINNEWIES,
Ashland, Oregon, former Yosemite National
Park Superintendent
May 20, 2006: "During my
tenure as Superintendent of Yosemite National Park from 1979 to 1986, many
people approached me about naming geographic features in memory of
outstanding individuals. In only one instance, did I choose to advance such
recommendations to the highest level by proposing, then, as I do now, that
'Sharsmith Peak' be so certified...In my career, I have served in several
national parks and as Executive Director of the Main Coast Heritage Trust,
Vice President of the National Audubon Society, and Executive Director of
the Palisades Interstate Park Commission...In these positions, I have met
many outstanding people, yet only one among them deserves, in my opinion,
the accolade of having a United States geographic feature named in his
honor. A 'Sharsmith Peak' in the Sierra Nevada would bring great honor to
naturalists, scientists, and rangers everywhere."
41) JULIE MILLER,
Interpretive Services Manager for Delaware North Co.,
Yosemite park concessioner, instructor Yosemite Outdoor Adventure Series for
Yosemite Association.
November 5, 2003:
"I am in favor of a peak called Sharsmith Peak..I currently include
anecdotes from my experiences with Carl in a public storytelling program I
do weekly in the park. I decided to call the peak Sharsmith in my YA
description although I have never seen it referred to that way anywhere
else..."
42)
DR. MICHAEL
FROME, deceased, Port Washington, Wisconsin, national park and conservation
author and educator:
November 8, 2006:
"I knew
Dr. Sharsmith personally and remember him well from visits to Yosemite over
the years...I recall hearing campers and numerous return visitors say they
had arranged their vacations specifically to experience a walk and evening
program with Dr. Sharsmith...Dr. Sharsmith brought a missionary zeal to
encounters with park visitors. Best of all, he was a wilderness scholar,
interpreter, and advocate of distinction...I hope...the designation of Mount
Sharsmith may now proceed apace."
43) DR.
JOHN LEMONS, deceased, Biddeford, Maine, former Tuolumne Meadows naturalist,
now Professor of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New
England:
September 26, 2006:
"My
primary reason for proposing [Sharsmith Peak]...is because the importance of
'place names' in national parks stems not simply from a desire to recognize
a person's contributions to a particular place or geographical feature or
event by 'naming' but more importantly 'place names' provide huge insights
into social, cultural, and natural history...I served as a seasonal
naturalist for ten years with the NPS in Yosemite National Park and
subsequently I have been a professor of biology and environmental science
for 28 years wherein I have studied and written extensively on park issues.
Through this work, I can attest to the importance of inspirational and
motivational knowledge of 'place names' . Park naturalists often tell
stories to the general public about 'place names' within the parks and not
only does this increase people's knowledge but more importantly helps show
them...an individual can make a huge difference to others in inspiring them
to more greatly care about the importance of conservation and preservation
in national parks and other public lands...It is important that places be
named after persons who provide inspiration and motivation to others with
respect to natural history, conservation, and preservation of national
lands; Dr. Sharsmith is such a person."
44) GENE
ROSE, Fresno, California, Sierra author and historian:
September 24, 2006: "Carl Sharsmith was an exceptional individual who served the Sierra
Nevada in countless ways. For half a century, he shared his love for the
mountains and their flora with young and old. As a ranger naturalist--and
then a "park interpreter"--he introduced thousands of park visitors to the
magic of the mountains. He was the Pied Piper of the peaks. His wildflower
walks and his nature hikes led the way. But there was his personal charisma,
that touched nearly everyone he encountered, instilling not only an
appreciation for the flora, but more importantly, to the park ethic of
preservation through stewardship...Little known is his efforts towards Kings
Canyon National Park. A trailblazer, yes; a Yosemitephile, most certainly,
but more than anything, Carl was committed to the preservation of that great
natural temple we know as Yosemite. The legendary Alpine botanist has his
wildflower, Sharsmithi, now he should have this mountain peak."
45) JOY
MASTROGIUSEPPE, Pullman, Washington, Marion Owenbey Herbarium,
Washington State University:
September 26, 2006:
"Sharsmith
Peak—what a wonderful and appropriate tribute to a man who inspired
thousands of people to look closely at nature...His delight in the natural
world encompassed the tiniest details, and his contributions to our
understanding of the plant world are invaluable...We all miss Carl very
much, and to have a peak named in his honor will keep alive his memory and
the things he taught us."
Additional statements may have been sent directly by individuals to the Board on Geographic Names.
Send emails to Sharsmith Peak Committtee