When it came to being green, Huey Johnson set a standard.
He was an outspoken environmentalist whose resume was filled with significant acts of conservation of land and resources.
Mr. Johnson, a longtime Marin resident, died on July 12 at his home in Corte Madera. He had suffered injuries from a fall.
The legacy he leaves is long and impressive. It also has served as an inspiration to many others.
He was the Nature Conservancy’s first western director and worked to preserve the Marin Headlands, in the wake of the landmark 1960s political and legal battle that stopped plans to turn the area into “Marincello,” which would have been home to 50 apartment towers and hundreds of homes and townhouses. In short, it would have been a new city for up to 30,000 people.
When the project was scrapped, Nature Conservancy bought the land for $6.5 million, preserving it as open space, then transferring it to the National Park Service and setting the stage for the formation of the 82,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
He also secured protections of Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park in Maui, Kent Island in Bolinas Lagoon and the Green Gulch property near Muir Beach.
In 1972, Mr. Johnson helped found the Trust for Public Land, a global leader in the preservation, protection and restoration of open spaces.
He left the organization in 1978 to become Gov. Jerry Brown’s first resources secretary. Part of his green agenda was commuting to his job by bike, but on the job, he worked on introducing and advancing a 100-year plan for managing the state’s rivers, fisheries, forests, energy, water and agriculture.
He knew he stepped on some political toes and claimed that lawmakers from both parties demanded his firing. Brown continued to support him.
In 1982, after leaving the Brown administration, he returned to Mill Valley, where he founded the New Renaissance Center — now called the Resource Renewal Institute — an environmental think-tank that focused on promoting better oversight over the management of our national parks and worked toward establishing sustainable fisheries.
In recent years, Mr. Johnson has worked to end the private leases in parts of Point Reyes National Seashore, from the now-closed oyster farm to the much-debated dairy and cattle ranches.
The IJ editorial board and Mr. Johnson have not always been on the same page, but we always respected and considered his heartfelt passion, staunch commitment, viewpoints and vision.
He could be stubborn and pugnacious, but getting others to consider that there were other ways to look at things was as much of an accomplishment as his role in saving millions of acres of parkland.
He opened minds and doors.
Even in his 80s, he was a tireless advocate.
Mr. Johnson’s ethic and focus will not be forgotten, as they have laid a strong foundation on which others can and will build.
Mr. Johnson always walked his talk, whether it was trying to protect Point Reyes’ elk herds or speaking at global conferences where he advanced RRI’s Green Plan.
We are fortunate that his legacy can be found and remembered so close to home. The fruits of his often creative tenacity for conserving and protecting the environment are now treasured and will be shared for future generations.
Huey Johnson will be missed, but his endeavors and accomplishments will live on.
