Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission

Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission

Founding members included: Fred Smith (head of the Council of Conservationists and senior vice president of the Prudential Insurance Company), Samuel T. Dana (a professor of natural resources from the University of Michigan), Joseph W. Penfold (a representative of the Izaak Walton League), Katherine Jackson Lee (director of the industry-dominated American Forestry Association), Chester Wilson (a past director of the Minnesota Department of Conservation), and Bernard Orell (vice president of Weyerhaeuser Timber Company). Later, when another committee vacancy opened, Laurance ensured that Marian Dryfoos Heiskell (from the New York Times) took up the post.

Laurance Rockefeller writes: "the commission's work demonstrated the importance of bipartisanship in achieving results. The Commission was made up of eight members of Congress, divided equally among political parties and the House and Senate, and seven private citizens appointed by the President. We had major figures including U.S. Senators Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson of Washington and Clinton Anderson of New Mexico on the Democratic side, and U.S. Representatives John Saylar of Pennsylvania and John Kyl of Iowa from the Republicans. They came to meetings and participated fully. The great advantage was that when the time came to turn recommendations into legislative action, those who had served on the commission and had helped shape its report were strong advocates, regardless of party. There may be something to learn from this bipartisanship in approaching today's sometimes contentious environmental issues."