Remembering Stewart Udall's Conservation Legacy

Published: March 22, 2010

One of the great voices of conservation has passed away.  Stewart Udall, who served in Congress and as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, passed away this weekend at the age of 90.

Udall was instrumental in the founding of North Cascades National Park.  The park was one of 60 additions to the National Park System made during his tenure.  He was also an active participant in the writing and passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964.  Today, we continue to benefit from a number of other legislative efforts championed by Mr. Udall including the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, the National Trails System Act of 1968 and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of the same year.

?The formation of North Cascades National Park helped chart the course of conservation in the North Cascades and the state of Washington,? said Bob Freimark, acting Pacific Northwest regional director of The Wilderness Society. ?Stewart Udall?s contributions to the environment are felt all across our country and helped inspire a new generation of conservationists.?