Edgar Wayburn - Preservationist

Edgar Wayburn was a five-term president of the Sierra Club and led a movement to preserve vast tracts of wilderness in America. He died on March 5, 2010 at his home in San Francisco at the age of 103.

He spearheaded a movement which led to the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act which created millions of acres of national park-land. He was instrumental in the creation of Redwood National Park in California, as well as the Golden Gate National Recreational Area in and around San Francisco. His work helped preserve Alcatraz Island as a tourist destination.

In the early 1960's, he was involved in the creation of Point Reyes National Seashore and the preservation of the Marin Headland located north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

For his lifetime work, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 from President Bill Clinton. His last work involved addressing the over commercialization of Yosemite National Park.