Recognition of the Coudersport Moon Tree

Mr. Speaker, Apollo 14 launched on January 31, 1971, on its third trip to the Moon. Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell composed the Apollo's eighth manned mission to the lunar surface.

Also on board were seeds from several common varieties of trees, part of a joint project with NASA and the U.S. Forest Service, known as the ``Moon trees,'' to see whether spaceflight affected seeds' ability to sprout. The resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States as a tribute to the Apollo program.

One of the surviving trees is in Pennsylvania's Fifth District, in Coudersport, Potter County. The Coudersport Moon tree, a sycamore, is among dozens reported as missing by NASA, until a local resident became aware of NASA's attempts to track down the remaining national treasures.

Today, Potter County's Moon tree is alive and well, and members of the Coudersport Area Lions Club have agreed to partner with the local government for a dedication ceremony that will bring long-overdue attention to our Moon tree.

We collectively should recognize the importance of NASA's Apollo program, and I want to thank my constituents in Coudersport for working to ensure the Moon trees continue to serve as a living monument to our Nation's first visit to the Moon.

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