President's Message
William H. Meadows
Last fall, a reporter asked how things would change for wilderness and wildlife bills if House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo were defeated. "We would return to the conditions of the Garden of Eden before the incident with the apple," said Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA). He may have been exaggerating, but Pombo did lose, and the committee, now headed by Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), will be putting conservation ahead of exploitation.
The power of legislators such as Pombo forced conservationists to play defense in recent years. Fortunately, we had considerable success, protecting the Arctic Refuge, roadless forests, and other natural treasures. Because of this administration's agenda, we must continue to play defense some of the time, but the change in leadership on Capitol Hill provides opportunities. We expect much-needed oversight of oil and gas drilling, a reversal of the downward trend in conservation funding, and legislation to address global warming. Efforts to permit drilling in the Arctic Refuge face very long odds, and we should have more success in the work that is the heart of our mission: protecting untrammeled public lands forever by making them part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. As always, we will be turning to you to help protect our natural legacy by contacting members of Congress and federal agencies.
-- William H. Meadows
P.S. We will celebrate Earth Day for the 38th time on April 22. It is a perfect moment for all of us to help shine a light on the importance of protecting our wilderness and wildlife for future generations.
