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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... UPDATED: Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Jackson County pot regulations in limbo ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... UPDATED: Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Jackson County pot regulations in limbo ... OUR VIEW Our View: Farewell to two prominent personalities Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 20, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Aug 20, 2015 at 10:58 AM Posted Aug. 20, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Aug 20, 2015 at 10:58 AM » Social News Southern Oregon lost two public figures recently. One was a tireless advocate for the region's environment and natural beauty; the other was a politician best remembered from his sometimes offbeat personality. Wendell Wood, 65, spent more than three decades working for Oregon Wild, formerly the Natural Resources Defense Council, in a variety of capacities. Wood was a high school biology teacher until he decided to make the environmental movement his life's work. After joining the NRDC's precursor, the Oregon Wilderness Coalition, in 1981, he was instrumental in passing the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984, and spent years working to protect old-growth forests and the wildlife they harbor. When harvests of Pacific yew trees for the cancer-fighting substance Taxol in their bark threatened to wipe out the species, Wood filed a lawsuit that forced pharmaceutical companies to synthesize the drug. He was devoted to Southern Oregon in particular, and was instrumental in securing protection under the Endangered Species Act for the Western snowy plover, the Klamath short-nosed sucker and the Lost River sucker, among others. Wood died doing what he loved: hiking in the California redwoods with his wife and a friend, he collapsed and could not be revived. He left a legacy that will last for years to come. Ric Holt, a Jackson County commissioner for three terms from 1990 to 2002, left a mark of his own, more as a result of his personality than of his political accomplishments. A gregarious businessman with a background in the oil industry, Holt championed conservative, business-oriented policies and worked to boost economic development efforts. He was perhaps best known as a tireless advocate for freight and passenger trains, working to make sure the old rail line linking the Rogue Valley with California stayed on transportation planners' radar. Holt wanted most of all to see passenger trains revived as a tourism draw, a dream he never saw realized. He narrowly lost his bid for a fourth term, but continued to dabble in politics until diabetes pushed him to the sideline and eventually took his life. Holt was a character. You might not always agree with him — and we frequently didn't — but it was hard not to get a grin on your face when you saw him coming. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 20, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Aug 20, 2015 at 10:58 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501