Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas used his stature and talents to present the case for conservation. He passionately and eloquently engaged the public and pressed them to defend our national heritage against the disfigurement of natural beauty, pollution of our air and water, and the decimation of wildlife.<\/p>\n
Stewardship of the natural world was more than a pleasing diversion for Justice Douglas.\u00a0 He considered wild places a necessary ingredient for a healthy democracy and the inheritance for future generations.<\/p>\n
William O. Douglas authored more than 40 books, many of them best sellers including My Wilderness: The Pacific West<\/i>, My Wilderness: East to Katahdin<\/i> and The Wilderness Bill of Rights<\/i>. Excerpts from two of these works are featured below.<\/p>\n
Justice Douglas stated in his autobiography:<\/p>\n
I hope it may help them [the American people] see in perspective of the whole world the great and glorious tradition of liberty and freedom enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. I hope that before it is too late they will develop a reverence for our rich soils, pure waters, rolling grass country, high mountains, and mysterious estuaries. I hope that they will put their arms around this part of the wondrous planet, love it, care for it, and treat it as they would a precious and delicate child. (Go East Young Man, 1974)<\/em><\/p>\n