By Mike Stevens, Washington State Director for The Nature Conservancy
We at The Nature Conservancy have just learned of the passing of William D. Ruckelshaus, a longtime friend and advisor and a true environmental champion for many decades.
Bill Ruckelshaus was founding administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, given the mission to enforce the nation’s new Clean Air and Clean Water acts. He undertook enforcement actions against big industrial polluters and severely polluted cities, set health-based standards for air pollutants and standards for automobile emissions, and banned the general use of the pesticide DDT.
Bill Ruckelshaus inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders, Earth Day, 2017, in Seattle. © Mike Stevens/TNC
Here in the Northwest, he had the vision for a collaborative, science-based effort to restore Puget Sound that led to the development of the Puget Sound Partnership, which he led from its founding in 2006 until 2010. He remained active and involved in the affairs of the nation and of Washington state, joining us at the March for Science in 2017 and co-authoring, with Sally Jewell, an op-ed for The Seattle Times in support of Initiative 1631, a measure to reduce climate change, in 2018.
His daughter Mary Ruckelshaus is past Chair of our state Board of Trustees and a past member of our global Board of Directors. Our condolences to Mary and the rest of the Ruckelshaus family.
We have been honored and proud to know Bill Ruckelshaus and will miss him greatly. I will personally miss Bill’s wisdom and kindness and commitment to making things better. Thank you, Bill, for all you have given us. I can hear you urging us to keep up the good work, and we will.
Banner photo © Joel Rogers
