Paul C. Pritchard

PAUL C. PRITCHARD

Paul Pritchard is a world recognized conservationist, historic preservationist and conservation writer.The renowned conservationist, Michael Frome, described him as one of the most influential conservationists of modern times. The Smithsonian Institution recognized him in its book, Conservation Leaders.

He has been a significant force in the addition of over half of America's national parks, the nation’s first estuarine and marine sanctuaries, the creation of state heritage programs, the saving of Canada's St. Catherine Islands, the protection of Ireland and China's national parks and the vision calling for the protection of the Earth's delicate climate.

Paul founded the National Park Trust, the only land conservancy dedicated exclusively to protecting America's national parklands. From 1980 to 1997, he was President of National Parks Conservation Association, increasing the organization's membership from 23,000 to more than 500,000. He was the first full-time executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a founder of the American Hiking Society, created the March for the Parks, the world's largest annual Earth Day event, the founding chair of the Climate Institute, and a founder of the U.S. Green Group. Paul Pritchard has achieved a "legacy of conservation firsts," said Fordham Law School.

A decorated career officer in the US Department of the Interior, Pritchard also chaired a Presidential conservation task force and was instrumental in the addition of Alaska national park units.

He has published more than 100 articles and was selected to write the definition of ‘national park’ for Houghton Mifflin's Encyclopedia of the Environment. Pritchard authored the article celebrating the 75th anniversary of the National Park Service for National Geographic Magazine, and through their book division, is credited as the creative force of a series of books including Enduring Treasures: National Parks of the World and The Making of the National Parks An American Idea. In 2017, he wrote A Young Man in War, a memoir about his decorated military service as an advisor in Vietnam.

For his diverse conservation accomplishments, including producing Richard Adler's Wilderness Suite and compositions by Paul Winters, Pritchard received the Secretary of the Interior's Honor Award for Meritorious Service, the Gulf Conservationist Award and the first Albert Schweitzer Prize in the Humanities in 1986. Pritchard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and a Master of Science in Planning. He lives with his wife, Sharon Conley, MD PhD, on the Intercoastal Waterway in Florida.