As hundreds of wilderness activists converge on the
nations capital to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the landmark
Wilderness Act, the Sierra Club is also pausing to celebrate the birthday
of one of Americas legendary wilderness champions. Dr. Edgar Wayburn, a
tenacious and tireless leader of the Sierra Club since the 1940s and
perhaps the least-known yet most successful defender of America's natural
heritage, turns 98 on Friday.
“The 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act is a unique opportunity to
reflect on the spectacular places this legislation has helped us protect
and on the incredible stories of the people who fought so hard for the wild
places they cherish,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. “Dr.
Wayburn is one of these amazing conservation heroes who has helped
safeguard some of the very best of wild America.”
On Sunday night, Dr. Wayburn will receive the first-ever Howard C. Zahniser
Lifetime Achievement Award, given to someone whose life of achievement in
protecting wilderness most closely parallels those of the person
principally responsible for the Wilderness Act.
The Wilderness Act was signed on September 3, 1964 by President Lyndon
Johnson, and now protects more than 106 million acres in 650 areas in 44
states. This still represents just 5 percent of the nations land mass,
with the need to move swiftly to protect America's public lands more urgent
given the increasing threats to these landscapes.
“As the country celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the
pillars on which much of Americas rich wilderness heritage is based are
crumbling under increased pressure,” said Pope.
Dr. Wayburn had a central role in the establishment of Redwood National
Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and in the passage of the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. For his visionary
achievements, he was honored with the Albert Schweitzer Prize for
Humanitarianism in 1995 and the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom
in 1999. Dr. Wayburns book, Your Land and Mine: Evolution of a
Conservationist, was published by Sierra Club Books last spring and offers
an engaging portrait of an important and inspiring American life.
More than 350 wilderness conservation advocates — representing nearly
every state — will gather in Washington, DC September 18-22 to talk about
protecting Americas last wild places and to attend demonstrations and
events marking the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
