San Jose, CA - Congressman Mike Honda joined the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in holding an invitation-only press briefing near the summit of Mt. Umunhum on Friday, July 9, 2010 to celebrate the allocation of $3.2 million in federal funding allowing efforts to clean up the former Almaden Air Force Station to begin in earnest. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and representatives for Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer also participated.

Rep Honda led the effort in Congress to secure federal funding for Mt Um cleanup and restoration. Here are several news clips regarding Rep Honda’s leadership:

“U.S. Rep Mike Honda, D-Campbell, whose district includes the mountain, which he has long hoped to see opened as a park…got a $4 million appropriation into the House defense bill for Mount Um cleanup.” - San Jose Mercury News Editorial, 12/25/09

“Having developed most of its surrounding hills, with little access to bay or ocean, Silicon Valley soon might see open space prepped for public use. Mount Um offers the public unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada. Once restored, it will provide critical conservation corridors and contiguous habitat for endangered species. Cultural significance, too, is unparalleled, as Mount Um is one of the few mountains locally that retains its native moniker. The root name - "umun," meaning hummingbird - was ubiquitous among South Bay indigenous peoples. Mount Um remains unready to realize this potential without federal funding. Now is the time to make the Mount Um legacy happen.” – By Representative Michael Honda, San Francisco Chronicle Op-Ed, 10/21/09

“California Rep. Mike Honda is a supporter of the clean-up project. He hopes one day that the scenic summit of Mt. Umunhum will be open to hikers, bicyclists, and picnickers. Rep. Mike Honda also has pressured the Army Corps to finish studies of soil contamination for the area.” – Mesothelioma News, 03/31/09

The Army Corps of Engineers and the Open Space District shared information about how their agencies are working in partnership to clean up the former Air Force Station, restore the environment, and plan for public access to this spectacular destination.

Because the Mt. Umunhum area is currently closed for public safety reasons, the press briefing was held on adjacent private property with panoramic views of Mt. Umunhum’s summit, the former Air Force Station, the Monterey Bay, the San Francisco peninsula, and Silicon Valley.