Dear NRDC Supporter,

The environmental movement lost a giant yesterday. Actor, director, NRDC Trustee and environmental champion Robert Redford passed away on September 15th at the age of 89.

Redford shined a bright light on the most important environmental issues, from the dawn of the environmental movement in the '70s to the biodiversity and climate crises of today. We must continue to honor his vision in the difficult environmental landscape we face today.

In 1974, fresh off a string of critically-acclaimed movies, Robert Redford had been fighting the construction of a massive coal-fired power plant in southern Utah — an area that would someday become part of Grand Staircase-Escalante, one of the most beautiful national monuments in America.

He asked NRDC for help because he knew about our legal prowess — our unique ability to leverage the power of law to defend nature, wild places, our environment and our health.

At that time, NRDC was not even five years old, just a small, scrappy organization working to pass landmark environmental laws like the Clean Water Act. Thus began a partnership that would last five decades.

Redford's vision and advocacy has led to many landmark environmental fights and victories:

• In the late '70s, Redford fought for passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most revered protected lands on earth.
• In the '80s, he helped sound the alarm about climate change, raising public awareness and paving the way for the first major international climate summits.
• In the '90s, he led the fight against Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America," a far-reaching assault on our environmental protections and treasured public lands.
• In 2010, Redford helped launch NRDC's Stop the Pebble Mine campaign, which would go on to drive four multinational mining giants from the project in Alaska.
• In 2015, he travelled to Paris to help rally the international community behind bold climate action and the Paris Climate Treaty.
• In 2017, he fought against the Trump administration's plan to approve the 2,100–acre Alton Coal Mine near Bryce Canyon National Park.
• And in 2022, he spurred public support for legislation that would become the Inflation Reduction Act, the most sweeping U.S. climate action ever.

Redford recognized early on that to win fights like these, NRDC needed to pair its unmatched legal prowess with membership-driven advocacy impact. And today, NRDC leverages the collective power of over 3 million Members and supporters eager to make a difference.

We've prepared a short video honoring Redford and the incredible difference he made throughout his lifetime. And you can learn more about his legacy and partnership with NRDC in a special tribute edition of NRDC's Nature's Voice newsletter . These were produced to honor Robert Redford before his passing.

I hope you'll join me in remembering Robert Redford for the immeasurable impact he's made on NRDC, on the modern environmental movement, and on the planet we all call home.

Sincerely,

Manish Bapna
President, NRDC