It is with great sadness that I write today, for Defenders has – and I have – lost a dear friend, a hero, and a partner in conservation. Our board member, David Getches, passed away July 5, 2011. He was 68 years old and taken from us far too soon. David was on our board for 9 years. As a lawyer, he was also part of our litigation committee.
David was committed to maintaining strong legal protections for wildlife and natural resources. He recently worked closely with Defenders on the National Forest Management Act and participated in several meetings with the Obama administration to encourage them to provide protections for wildlife on our national forests.
David was the living expression of the best of our ideals, a man of character and kindness. David shared his knowledge with everyone, from the boards of conservation organizations he joined to the students he taught. Thanks to his many years as a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, his legacy will continue, as many of his students now hold positions of influence in state and federal agencies and conservation organizations. It will now be up to them and the many friends he has left behind to carry on his mission, to conserve and protect wildlife and wild places for generations to come.
At our last board meeting, David expressed great faith in the next generation, that they held a strong commitment to our planet and natural heritage. It is with this next generation and for this next generation that we must continue to fight the good fight. And to have faith that we can win…. As David always believed.
With that in mind, Defenders’ Board of Directors approved a resolution remembering and honoring David. Click on the image below to read the full resolution (PDF).
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