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The �ԹϺ��� (NAS) family suffered a loss this week when former President Russell W. Peterson passed away at at the age of 94. Current NAS President David Yarnold said:

“The world has lost a champion for the environment. Russ Peterson distinguished himself as president of the �ԹϺ��� from 1979-1985. Throughout the country �ԹϺ��� staffers join me in recalling his visionary contributions, and the extraordinary example he set.”

As president of the from 1979 t0 1985, Mr. Peterson vigorously fought President ’s efforts to weaken enforcement of environmental regulations to help business. When Reagan said conservationists would not be happy until the White House was a “bird’s nest,” Mr. Peterson snapped back that it was already “a cuckoo’s nest.”

Mr. Peterson pushed �ԹϺ��� well beyond its traditional mission of protecting wildlife into newer environmental battles like population control, energy policy and curbing toxic chemicals. He hired more scientists, established an environmental curriculum for elementary schools and recruited to finance a film series, “The World of �ԹϺ���,” which used narrators like .

Russell's family and friends are in our thoughts.