Defenders of Wildlife Remembers Conservation Champion Nathaniel Pryor Reed

Defenders of Wildlife mourns the passing of the Honorable Nathaniel Pryor Reed, a tireless champion of our lands, waters and wildlife. Mr. Reed was Vice Chairman of the Everglades Foundation and Co-Chair with Senator Bob Graham of the Florida Conservation Coalition. Serving throughout the Nixon and Ford Administrations as the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, he was a fierce advocate for wildlife and public lands conservation for more than four decades. Mr. Reed played a key role in the negotiation and passage of many of our nation’s most crucial federal environmental laws and treaties, including the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Convention (CITES), key amendments to the Clean Water Act and the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act.

Mr. Reed was awarded the Spirit of Defenders Advocacy Award in 2013.

Statement from Defenders of Wildlife CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“The conservation community has lost one of its greatest leaders. Nat was a giant of conservation and a bastion of the responsible stewardship of our natural lands, waters and wildlife. He dedicated his life to protecting our nation’s natural heritage and ushering in the bedrock conservation laws that we cannot imagine being without today. He was a true champion for wildlife and wild places, and a friend. He will be deeply missed.”