WASHINGTON, D.C. — Longtime National Wildlife Federation leader and conservation advocate Jim Lyon, who passed away this week, will be remembered as an affable, stalwart defender of wildlife, workers, and public lands. The National Wildlife Federation shared its condolences with Lyon’s friends, family, and former colleagues across the conservation movement.

“For four decades, Jim was a happy warrior of the conservation community. He possessed an incredibly rare gift: the strategic mind of a general, the conviction to fight fiercely for both wildlife and workers, and a booming laugh that could disarm the toughest room,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We haven’t just lost a brilliant conservation advocate. We have lost a mentor and a dear friend who showed us that the best way to change the world is to bring everyone along with you."

Lyon retired from the National Wildlife Federation in 2021 after 25 years at the organization and a career in the environmental movement that spanned four decades. He was a nationally recognized leader on public lands, mining policy, and environmental law. Demonstrating his conviction for protecting wildlife, people, and places, Lyon led battles to reform the General Mining Law of 1872, remediate abandoned hard rock mines, and extend black lung benefits to miners in West Virginia and beyond. He also played critical leadership roles in NWF’s response to the BP Oil Spill and efforts to conserve, restore, and protect landscapes like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Boundary Waters, and the Everglades.

A trusted voice and mentor to thousands of current and former colleagues — and known throughout the community for his brilliant mind, booming laugh, and welcoming hospitality — Lyon represented the Federation and the conservation movement on groups and coalitions like the Green Group, Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, the Blue-Green Alliance, the Partnership Project, the Climate Action Campaign, the American Wind Wildlife Institute, and the Western Coalfield Alliance.