Brock Evans: “The Endangered Species Act and Its Place in American History ” Thursday, October 16, 2008 3:00-4:30 p.m. Wyoming Stock Growers’ Room American Heritage Center Reception following lecture Free and open to the public Rentschler Flyer (PDF) (100 k)

Brock Evans, the 2008 George A. Rentschler Distinguished Visiting Lecturer, also known as M. Brock Evans, is a conservationist and civic leader. He served as the Northwest representative of the Sierra Club and of the Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs from 1967 to 1973, as acting director and director of the Washington D.C. office of the Sierra Club from 1973 to 1981, and as vice president for national issues for the National Audubon Society from 1981 to 1996. Evans also was the Audubon representative to the Ancient Forest Alliance circa 1988 to 1994. He also served on the board of a number of other environmental organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters and the Environmental Law Institute.

Brock Evans: "Essentially my basic observation, and theme, is that ‘environmentalism’ has always been a strong and deep part of American culture, just as much as other values, such as equality, opportunity, rule of law, etc. We may call it by different names, there have been ups and downs, and we may debate the specifics fiercely, but the fact that all these laws and all these acres are still there, despite many attempts to weaken them, and they are increasing, not diminishing, proves over and over what that British Ambassador said in 1912: ‘National Parks (and by inference, the Wilderness Act and the Endangered Species Act) are the best idea America has ever had . . . .’”

The George A. Rentschler Distinguished Visiting Lecture series is made possible by an endowment established by Frederick B. Rentschler and his mother, the late Rita Rentschler Cushman.