Document text
M/SUNNY Temp: 69 °F Wind: ESE at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 20, 2003 Willis honored for wilderness preservation efforts By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Longtime environmental activist Dave Willis has received the Murie Award from The Wilderness Society for his work in protecting wilderness and wildlife in Southwest Oregon. Willis, chair of the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, has been cited by many as the driving force behind the creation of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in 2000. In making the presentation Thursday night, Wilderness Society President William H. Meadows noted that Willis has a reputation for tenacity when it comes to local environmental issues. "Dave Willis has committed his life to protecting this part of the world," Meadows said in a prepared statement. "He is passionate about it, and he is focused, and those are two of the qualities that have made him so successful. Advertisement "Dave never loses hope, even when things are not going well," he added. "He is always searching for the next person to bring to the Soda Mountain backcountry or some other special Siskiyou spot, convinced that exposure to the place will create its next advocate." Fellow local activist Dominick DellaSala, a forest ecologist with the local World Wildlife Fund office, agreed. "Dave is the MVP of the conservation community of Southern Oregon," DellaSala said, although noting that Willis would reject such praise. "But look around: what wilderness we have left is the result of people like Dave who have been working tirelessly in making a legacy of the incredibly important land in our region," he added. Bob Freimark, The Wilderness Society’s Northwest regional director, called Willis an inspiration to others. "He has a vision for this part of the world, and he just never stops thinking about how he can make that vision a reality," Freimark said. "Informed by an evolving Christian faith, he believes an integral part of what it means to be human is pointing to God’s love for all creation by using our uniqueness to care for it." Willis, who has a master’s degree in theology, was reared in Corvallis and is a licensed guide and outfitter. In addition to serving as a charter board member of the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council since 1984, he also serves on the board of the Siskiyou Regional Education Project and is coordinator of Wild Hope, which operates backpacking "Sierra Treks" for church and school groups. In addition to receiving the award, which notes that he epitomizes "the spirit of citizen advocacy and of wilderness," Willis received $1,000 to be donated to an organization. The three environmental organizations that Willis will give the fund in equal shares to are the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, Wild Hope, and the Siskiyou Regional Education Project. The award is named for Olaus Murie, a naturalist who served as president of The Wilderness Society from 1945 to 1962, and his wife, Mardy, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. The couple spent years lobbying for legislation to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and many other wild places from development. Mardy Murie, who turns 101 in August, was the first female graduate of the University of Alaska in 1924. Willis is the 16th winner of the Murie Award. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times