Saving Point Reyes: How An Epic Conservation Victory Became a Tipping Point for Environmental Policy Action

Join us for this engaging discussion which will offer participants specific advocacy lessons learned from a newly released study of “the Golden Era� of environmental policymaking 1962-1975, lessons from California battles won in Congress that are directly applicable to the challenges of the 21stcentury. The environmental policy challenges ahead - from the climate crisis to public lands policies - must overcome widespread fears of government dysfunction. Warburg’s new book Saving Point Reyes: How An Epic Conservation Victory Became a Tipping Point for Environmental Policy Action* presents a hopeful story, based on deep archival research and oral histories, synthesized by a veteran congressional aide and Washington lobbyist. The success of grassroots activists in reversing the filling of San Francisco Bay and protecting both Point Reyes and the Golden Gate headlands from massive subdivisions already under construction helped make the San Francisco Bay Area one of the most desired places to live. These triumphs also fueled the rise of many of the leading national environmental NGOs. Warburg details the clever tactics, novel strategies - and repeated good luck - that drove these wins. His rich narrative also celebrates the often-overlooked role of Bay Area women as grassroots leaders and explores the lead role played by Republican lawmakers in an era when environmental protection enjoyed bipartisan support.

Speaker: Gerald Warburg, University of Virgina

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