Over the holiday weekend, Montanans lost a conservation leader with the passing of Jim Posewitz. Jim was a mentor and role model for many of us in the conservation and environmental community. He led a remarkable life of advocating for the stewardship and conservation of Montana’s wild places, fish, and wildlife. He was recognized by MEIC some years ago as our Conservationist of the Year for his tireless work and unending advocacy for Montana’s public lands and wildlife.
“Poz,” as many called him, carried this unrelenting advocacy with him for Montana’s wild places right up to the end of his life. Just last month he wrote of the importance of safeguarding one of Montana’s treasures — the Smith River — from the ravages of an ill-conceived mining project.
Jim may have traveled on, but his lifetime of work has left a permanent mark on Montana – both the land and its people. Those of us who fight for this extraordinary place can look up to him as a life well lived and as a true example of a warrior for the mountains, the water, the wind-swept plains, and the critters. And the best way to honor Jim and his ideas is to pick up the baton and continue the fight.
