The Wilderness Society to honor David Brooks with 2026 Olaus and Mardy Murie Award
Award recognizes four decades of conservation leadership, often "outside the spotlight"
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Wilderness Society will honor longtime public lands leader David Brooks with the 2026 Olaus and Mardy Murie Award at a June 17 dinner at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
The Olaus and Mardy Murie Award recognizes public servants who advance natural resource conservation through leadership, innovation and commitment. The Wilderness Society will honor Brooks for nearly four decades of service on Capitol Hill, where he helped shape landmark public lands legislation and protect millions of acres of national public lands for people, wildlife and future generations.
“David Brooks’ career reminds us that some of the most lasting conservation victories take shape outside the spotlight, through expertise, persistence and a deep commitment to the public good,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, president of The Wilderness Society. “His remarkable skills helped turn conservation ideas into protections of millions of acres —real places where people hike, hunt, fish, camp, gather with family and experience the freedom of our public lands. We’re so pleased to honor his legacy of service to our nation.”
Brooks staffed public land issues on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for more than 36 years, including the last 12 years as Democratic General Counsel. He began his career in 1987 working for Rep. Mo Udall on the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
“For more than 90 years, The Wilderness Society has worked to protect America’s wild places and public lands so people from all walks of life can experience the outdoors and pass these places on to future generations,” said Martinique Grigg, co-chair of The Wilderness Society’s Governing Council. “David embodies the spirit of the Murie Award. His career reflects the persistence, courage and care it takes to protect the lands we all share, and we are thrilled to recognize his extraordinary contributions.”
During his career, Brooks worked on several hundred public land bills that became law, including the Great American Outdoors Act, which secured permanent mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He also helped advance multi-bill public lands packages and legislation that protected an estimated 25 million acres of national public lands, including 18 million acres of wilderness designations across Arizona, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
“David Brooks’ legacy reflects a rare combination of public lands expertise, quiet determination and lasting impact,” said Rue Mapp, co-chair of The Wilderness Society’s Governing Council. “His work helped protect places where communities gather, wildlife thrives and future generations can find inspiration, belonging and freedom in the outdoors.”
Brooks retired from the Senate in September 2025 following a 38-year career on Capitol Hill and now works as a consultant with Natural Resource Results, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying and government affairs firm. A native of Tucson, Brooks received his law degree and undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from The Wilderness Society,” said David Brooks. “I have been fortunate to spend my career working for Members of Congress with a strong conservation ethic and with TWS staff and others who believe America’s public lands are worth protecting. I know The Wilderness Society will carry that work forward with the next generation of public servants and advocates with the same care, determination and belief in the places that belong to all of us.”
The award bears the names of Olaus and Margaret “Mardy” Murie, defining figures in the modern wilderness movement and central leaders in The Wilderness Society’s history. Olaus Murie served as president of The Wilderness Society, while Mardy Murie served as secretary and Governing Council member and became one of the nation’s most powerful voices for wilderness protection. Together, they helped build the case for protecting large, intact wild landscapes, including what became the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and championed the Wilderness Act.
About The Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society is a national conservation organization dedicated to protecting America’s wild places since 1935. Through science, advocacy and partnerships with communities and policymakers, we champion the protection of wilderness, national parks, forests, and other public lands that provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat and the freedom to connect with nature. For more information, visit www.wilderness.org.
Contact: newsmedia@tws.org
