Proposed by: The Portland Garden Club, Zone XII

Environmental attorney Bowen Blair was raised in the Midwest and attended college in the Northeast where he developed an interest in US history and Native studies. He traveled west to study environmental law in Portland, Oregon, and made the acquaintance of the powerhouse Nancy Russell, The Portland Garden Club, Zone XII. Blair fought together with Nancy to garner political support for the federal protection of the Columbia River Gorge, home to more than 800 species of wildflowers and abundant wildlife on nearly 300,000 acres. He became executive director of the Friends of the Columbia Gorge in 1982 and successfully advocated for the passage of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act in 1986. His work, A Force for Nature: Nancy Russell’s Fight to Save the Columbia Gorge, chronicles Nancy’s tireless effort to save the threatened landscape.

In 1989 Blair joined the Trust for Public Land (TPL) where he established the TPL’s Tribal and Native Lands Program, which acquired 200,000 acres for 70 tribes, and served as the TPL’s senior vice president for land acquisitions. His 20 years of work with the TPL lead to his position as chief conservation officer for the nonprofit Indian Country Conservancy dedicated to preserving native lands for Native people. He is one of the country’s leading experts at conveying conservation land into public and tribal ownership. Blair continues his mission to preserve precious open spaces for all to enjoy as a member of the National Park System Advisory Board.