Clarence Petty dead at 104

[Tom Rankin]

http://www.pressrepublican.com/0111_environment/local_story_335071454.html

"Clarence Petty, a tireless advocate for the Adirondack wilderness until well beyond his 100th birthday, died Monday. He was 104.

...

Petty worked for years as a state forest ranger and did seminal surveys leading to the protection of large wilderness areas in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, as well as its wild and scenic rivers. He was still writing to elected officials in support of wilderness protection as a centenarian."

 

[Puma concolor]

Sorry to hear that. I always enjoyed reading his Q&A columns in Adirondack Explorer. Gotta love a guy who always called it like he saw it.

 

[Maddy]

Gotta love a guy who always called it like he saw it.

Poor Clarence. He did live a nice long life. Speaks well for the air in the Adirondaks.

...and what Puma wrote is a great epitaph!

 

[David Metsky]

[Mod Action] - Moved and merged two threads on this subject

-dave-

 

[BlackSpruce]

"The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty: Wilderness Guide, Pilot, and Conservationist"

This book about Clarence Petty even though it comes short on several accounts is a very interesting read about an extraordinary man who in spite of being in the public eye for most of life let the public know very little about him personnally. The book is as well interesting because it tells about the life style of this particular area of the Adirondack Park over the several decades of the "Noah" era. The formative years of Clarence Petty testify of an education approach not seen nowadays!

The following article is a bit longer and has pictures of Clarence:
http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/509972.html?nav=5008

 

[WinterWarlock]

Wow - what a loss for the community.

 

[Adk_dib]

God bless him, I looked forward to his column in the explorer. I am sad

 

[AOC-1]

Clarence Petty's obituary in today's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/science/earth/06petty.html?ref=obituaries

 

[beverly]

Clarence Petty's obituary in today's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/science/earth/06petty.html?ref=obituaries

Mr. Petty was a legendary trekker who climbed 46 of the highest peaks in the Adirondacks.

“Not all people feel they need to have wilderness, but I do,” he said in the 2005 Times article. “If things go bad and everything seems to go wrong, the best place to go is right into the remote wilderness, and everything’s in balance there.”

Well said, Clarence.

 

[adktyler]

He shall be missed much! Here is a short overview of his life and influence: http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/51186.html