Bill Clinton: “I wish we all had been there with Edgar Wayburn when he first laid eyes on the spectacular vistas of the land north of…”

“I wish we all had been there with Edgar Wayburn when he first laid eyes on the spectacular vistas of the land north of San Francisco, for then we could have experienced the wilderness from his unique and wonderful perspective. As it is, millions of Americans and visitors from other lands have been able to experience our great American wilderness because of Edgar Wayburn. From the broad shores of Point Reyes, where we spent our second anniversary, to the sharp peaks of the Alaska range, to the majestic heights of the California redwoods, Edgar Wayburn has helped to preserve the most breathtaking examples of the American landscape. In fact, over the course of the more than half a century, both as president of the Sierra Club and as a private citizen, he has saved more of our wilderness than any other person alive. And I might add, his wife, who is here with us today, has been his colleague every step of the way in that endeavor. Those who have been involved in these struggles with him credit his success to his persistence and to his profound conviction as a physician and a conservationist that our physical health depends upon the health of our environment. As we look toward a 21st century in which the world and the United States must combat new challenges to our environment, and especially the challenge of climate change, we will need Edgar Wayburn as a model and a guide. And we should be very grateful that we have him. Colonel, read the citation. [Lieutenant Colonel Everhart read the citation, and the President and the First Lady presented the medal.]”