Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Bill to name Mt. Andrea Lawrence passes Senate

Great news for fans of Andrea Lawrence and those tracking the renaming of peak 12,240! Barbara Boxer introduced the bill last May and it was passed unanimously in the Senate this week. The next step is the House, where Republican Representative Buck McKeon of Santa Clarita has already sponsored the bill.

The peak itself is in Mono County, 0.6 miles northeast of Donahue Peak on the northern border of the Ansel Adams Wilderness and Yosemite National Park.

Andrea Mead Lawrence was an alpine skiing Olympic double gold medalist, mother of five, visionary environmental leader, 16-year Mono County Supervisor, and advocate for Mono Lake’s protection. Andrea dedicated her life to preserving shared public landscapes and values and was an inspirational leader and tireless champion of doing the right thing. The Mono Lake Committee celebrates Andrea’s life each spring at the Andrea Lawrence Award Dinner.

Here are links to articles on the bill in the San Francisco Chronicle and First Tracks online ski magazine.

 

Andrea Mead Lawrence in 2008, hosting the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers Award Banquet. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.