Background
The
Sierra
Club was founded on May 28, 1892, by John Muir, a noted preservationist, and a group of influential friends who sought to create
an organization to protect the boundaries of the newly established Yosemite National Park. Under Muir’s leadership, the club
waged numerous battles to defend the natural wonders of both Yosemite and the
Sierra Nevada. Despite these early political struggles, the
club, prior to WWII, was for the most part an outing organization for climbers, hikers, and campers. Following the war, the club
became both far more political and national in its scope under the leadership of David Brower, who involved members in opposing
a number of federal reclamation projects. In 1971, the club established the
Sierra
Club Legal Defense Fund, a group whose task was to handle the club’s mounting litigation. During the 1980s, the club experienced
considerable growth as it garnered support for opposing the policies of Secretary of the Interior James Watt, who advocated
use, rather than protection, of wilderness. As a result, between 1980 and 1983, the club’s membership nearly doubled to 346,000.
The popularity of environmentalism has helped keep the
Sierra
Club an appealing and powerful organization for the general public and politicians. The club continues to fight for the preservation
of wilderness and the protection of national parks. The club involves itself in new environmental concerns such as clean energy.
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