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The
renowned conservationist, Michael
Frome, described Paul Pritchard as one of the most influential
conservationists of modern times. The Smithsonian Institution recognized
him in its book, Conservation Leaders. Pritchard’s achievements
blanket the fifty states and reach around the world. He has been a
significant force in the addition of over half of America's national
parks, the first estuarine and marine sanctuaries, state heritage
programs, the saving of Canada's St. Catherine Islands, the protection of
China's national parks and the fight for the Earth's delicate climate.
He founded National Park Trust, the only land conservancy dedicated
exclusively to protecting America's national parklands. From 1980 to 1997,
he was President of National Parks and Conservation Association,
increasing the organization's membership from 23,000 to more than 500,000,
and the annual budget from $434,000
to nearly $19,000,000. He created the March for the Parks,
the world's largest annual Earth Day event in 1990. As the founding chair
of the Climate Institute, and a founder of both the U.S. Green Group and
also Friends of China's National Parks, Paul Pritchard has achieved a
"legacy of conservation firsts," said Fordham Law School.
A
decorated career officer in the US Department of the Interior, Pritchard
also chaired a Presidential task force and was instrumental in the
addition of Alaska national park units.
He
has published more than 100 articles and was selected to write the
definition of ‘national park’ for Houghton Mifflin's Encyclopedia of
the Environment. Pritchard authored the article celebrating the 75th
anniversary of National Park Service for National Geographic Magazine, and
through their book division, is credited as the creative force behind the
recently published Enduring Treasures: National Parks of the World.
At the same time, he serves as a citizen member of his county public
service district where he oversees the growth and change of his community.
For
his diverse conservation accomplishments, including underwriting Richard
Adler's Wilderness Suite, Pritchard received the Secretary of the
Interior's Honor Award for Meritorious Service, the Gulf Conservationist
Award and the first Albert Schweitzer Prize in the Humanities in 1986.
Pritchard
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and a Master of Science in
Planning. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran and lives with his wife and
sons on a farm in West Virginia.
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For more information contact:
National Park Trust (NPT)
(301)
279-7275
npt@parktrust.org
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