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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, today delivered remarks from the Senate floor to recognize the extraordinary career of Tim Hudson, and stress the importance of preserving and protecting America’s National Parks. Hudson, who currently serves as superintendent of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, is retiring in October after more than 50 years with the National Park Service (NPS).

“I just want to recognize Tim and the thousands like him throughout this country who work on our behalf quietly every day without a Senator making a speech about them, but they go about their work on behalf of the American people,” said Senator King. “And I just didn't want Tim Hudson's retirement to go unremarked, because not only does he deserve recognition, so do many of his colleagues, whether it's in the Park Service, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, the Internal Revenue Service, all the people that work on behalf of this country, the brave men and women in the Department of State who work around the world, often in dangerous situations.

“We need to recognize them. We need to support them. We need to let them know that we know what they're doing and that we care what they're doing. So that's why I'm here today to talk about Tim Hudson. A guy who's made a difference for this country for fifty-seven years*, and he's made a huge difference for the people of Maine over the past five years. I want to say thanks to Tim and his wife, Mary, and wish him the best in his retirement. He's the best of what America is all about. He has served us well and he has served the people of Maine well, and I appreciate it and thank him for it.”

Tim Hudson began his NPS career in 1967, and in 1982, became Chief of Maintenance at Yellowstone National Park. After 20 years at Yellowstone, Hudson became Chief of Maintenance for the Alaska Region where he initiated alternative and sustainable energy projects, and enhanced opportunities for park and regional office staff. When Hurricane Sandy severely damaged National Park units along the East Coast in late 2012, Hudson left Alaska to assume oversight responsibility for the Northeast Region’s hurricane recovery program. In 2016, Hudson was named the first-ever Superintendent of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, where he has served for five years. Over the course of his distinguished career, Hudson has received both the Department of the Interior’s Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards.

Superintendent Hudson will be retiring from his post this October.

“The Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters are so incredibly thankful for Tim Hudson’s service to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument; we wish him happy trails as he wraps up his more than 50 years as an employee of the National Park Service. Tim's contributions in starting Katahdin Woods and Waters are inextricably linked to the early success of this special place and the communities connected to it,” said Andrew Bossie, Executive Director of Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters.

As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks and a lifelong advocate for conservation, Senator King has spent decades championing environmental stewardship and advocacy. Senator King was an active participant in discussions to ensure that the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument would not be designated against the will of local citizens; after it became clear that the monument had widespread public support, continued Maine’s longstanding outdoor traditions, and yielded economic benefits to the region, he pushed against a 2017 Department of the Interior review that threatened to roll back the designation. Senator King also recently led the Great American Outdoors Act to address the $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks. For his continued leadership, Senator King was awarded the inaugural National Park Foundation “Hero” Award.

*Sen King inadvertently misidentified Hudson’s service as 57 years; Tim Hudson has served the National Parks Service for 54 years.