by Ryan Henson, Policy Director
We are saddened to share the passing of an esteemed former member of our Board of Directors, Steve McClary. Steve’s deep love for nature began in his childhood. He grew up in Santa Rosa, California where the outdoors were an integral part of his upbringing and his family life. While he traveled far and wide in adulthood, the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California held a special place in his heart. He frequently spoke about the vast impact this landscape had during the most formative years of his life.
Steve once said, “To re-visit wilderness areas today brings me a strong sense of my early life and raising my family, a kind of re-grounding in the values taught to me in childhood. Preserving wilderness and extending wilderness protection to appropriate new areas are ways I can pay homage to my life in California, to my childhood and my children.”
Steve is remembered by the conservation community for the profound impact he had on the places and people he held dear. His passion for protecting wilderness led him to join our organization’s Board in 2015. As a board member, Steve contributed to the success and wellness of this organization throughout many years. In fact, he served as the President of our Board of Directors from 2017 to 2021, so he presided over several epochal moments in time for CalWild, including the decision to hire our former Executive Director, Chris Morrill.
Steve led us through an incredibly difficult fiscal year when acting as President of our Board of Directors. He was successful in getting CalWild back on track financially and helped grow our organization. His leadership allowed CalWild to reclaim its role as a great champion for public lands in California.
Steve was a fierce advocate for safeguarding wilderness, so he fervidly urged us to pursue legislative measures to attain these protections. He shares credit for many of CalWild’s successes over time, including the passing of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. Notably, this act established Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve. It also added 69 areas to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Steve helped us with launching what became two of this year’s successful campaigns as well, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument expansions. In many ways, Steve built a legacy in conservation for his family that’s reflected in active policy and characterized by his love for the outdoors.
His loss is deeply felt by the conservation community, especially our team. He is remembered by all who knew him for his unyielding commitment to do good in the world. We are extremely grateful to Steve for all the amazing work that he did for CalWild and for California’s public lands.
