The Wilderness Society awards Senator Edward Markey its top honor

Today, The Wilderness Society will present its highest honor for conservation and environmental advocates to Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts. Known as the Ansel Adams Award, the prize recognizes tireless and exceptional commitment to the cause of conservation and the fostering of an American land ethic.   

“After nearly 50 years championing conservation and climate action in Congress, Senator Ed Markey’s record has had a profound and lasting impact on the health of our nation’s public lands and natural resources,” said The Wilderness Society President Jamie Williams. “At a time when our planet faces increasing threats from climate change, Senator Markey continues to be the national leader we need at the forefront of the fight for a more just, equitable and sustainable future.”   

Throughout his time in Congress, Senator Markey has served as the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment on the Energy and Commerce Committee, among other leadership titles. 

Senator Markey has championed protecting public lands, from fully funding the National Park System to his ongoing commitment to the protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has been a leading voice in the call to create green jobs through a return of a conservation corps, manifested through the Biden administration’s recent creation of the American Climate Corps. And he has fought to ensure taxpayers receive a fair return on oil, gas, and other minerals produced on public lands and water while promoting responsible renewable energy development on public lands. 

Fifteen years ago, the American Clean Energy and Security Act – known as the Waxman-Markey climate bill – was the first-of-its-kind climate legislation to pass the House of Representatives. The bill proposed a cap-and-trade program to limit fossil fuel emissions nationally. While it never became law, the bill set the stage for the climate-forward laws we see today, such as the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which made unprecedented investments in advancing clean energy, improving water quality, prioritizing pollution cleanup and reducing climate emissions. 

“I am honored to receive the Ansel Adams Award and thank The Wilderness Society for both the recognition and for its longstanding, vital leadership on conservation issues. Our wild places are precious legacies for all Americans and are too often under threat from extraction and development efforts that put corporate profit above the public welfare,” said Senator Edward Markey. “Whether it’s fighting oil and gas extraction, preserving America’s Arctic and Indigenous ways of life, defending the National Environmental Policy Act to ensure communities have a voice in decisions affecting their backyards, or protecting endangered and threatened species, I am committed to putting the interests of people, the environment, and the creatures that share our home above those of polluters. Our livable future depends on the work done by The Wilderness Society and all the advocates fighting against the climate crisis and for a better, healthier planet.”   

The Ansel Adams Award is named after the renowned nature photographer and conservationist Ansel Adams, who dedicated his life and work to the preservation of national parks and wilderness areas. The annual award recognizes an individual whose work embodies this legacy of conservation and environmental stewardship. Previous recipients include former President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Al Gore, Secretaries of the Interior Stewart Udall and Ken Salazar, CEQ Chair Katie McGinty, Senators Maria Cantwell and Dianne Feinstein, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Representatives John Lewis and George Miller. 

For more information, contact Emily Denny, Communications Manager at edenny@tws.org