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History of the Natural Resources Council of America For more than 50 years the Natural Resources Council of America has been the Crossroads of Conservation. Founded in 1946 by a small band of dedicated and spirited individuals inspired by the writings of Aldo Leopold and John Muir, the Council was created as an association for the leaders of a growing movement of nonprofit organizations dedication to the conservation and sustainable management of the Earth's natural resources. "In the belief that each person has an inalienable right to a healthful and life-enriching environment, the objectives of the Natural Resources Council of America shall be to advance management, protection ad rational use of the Earth's natural resources so as to achieve the highest quality of living for present and future generations of humankind." Throughout the years, many of the great names in conservation history have figured prominently in the Council's leadership, including the Sierra Club's David Brower, the National Wildlife Federation's Thomas Kimball, the Wilderness Society's Stewart Brandborg and the World Wildlife Fund's Russell Train. William K. Reilly, a former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, once served as the Chair of the Council's Board. From early beginnings, the Council has grown from 12 founding members to over 85 national and regional organizations dedicated to the sustainable management of the world's natural resources. Once viewed as a "melting pot" of conservation groups on which "common ground"could be built, growth in the sheer number and variety of organizations made it increasingly unlikely that there would ever be a single spokesman for all conservation interests. The Council's very diversity is a measure of its strength. With growth in membership, the Council launched new programs to strengthen the conservation movement as a whole, while meeting the specific needs of its members.
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