Regional
In Remembrance of Andrea Lawrence
Author: Sierra Nevada Alliance
Published on Apr 6, 2009 - 9:42:17 AM

April 4, 2009 - Andrea Mead Lawrence, founding president of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, died on March 31st at her home in Mammoth Lakes. In truth, her life's work will never die. It lives on in a healing Mono Lake, a saved Bodie, a citizen-enforced California Environmental Quality Act, and at the many organizations she founded and inspired, including here at the Sierra Nevada Alliance. We will honor our founding president by working harder every day to be worthy of her legacy in the Range of Light.

Andrea was more famous in the Sierra for her visionary leadership in saving our beloved mountains than for skiing them - even though she was the only American to win two gold medals in Alpine skiing in one Olympic Games. She brought her big-picture thinking, laser focus, high tolerance for risk and bold willingness to venture where others had not to the founding of the Alliance in 1993. Her dream was to protect and restore the natural environment of the Sierra Nevada for future generations, ensuring healthy and sustainable communities.

"God did not create the Sierra Nevada as a lot-and-block subdivision," she'd say in describing the need for enlightened planning for our region.

Andrea's deep passion for the entire Sierra was bolstered by her strong personality and ability to push hard to a finish line. Both traits were key to attracting others to launch the Alliance to address myriad environmental and community challenges. She pushed the organization hard to go big and go fast - understanding that the region deserved nothing less.

She also was a renowned local leader in her favorite part of the Range of Light -- the Eastern Sierra. Her leadership at Friends of Mammoth won a precedent-setting conservation legal case for the entire state of California. She was a four-term supervisor in Mono County s a board member of the Mono Lake Committee, advisor to many Eastern Sierra groups, and founder of the important force for integrating economic vitality with ecological integrity – the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers, ALIMAR.

Andrea's ability to lead by example inspired conservation groups and individuals throughout the Sierra. Her commitment to grassroots action established the Sierra Nevada Alliance as a leader in strengthening the work of all everyone committed to environmental integrity in the range.

Andrea's strength of will and ability to inspire made things happen. She was so much more than all the single qualities used to describe her – visionary, disciplined, passionate, confident, determined, intelligent, powerful, kind. She was a force unlike any other for the Sierra.

In 2008, the Sierra Nevada Alliance presented Andrea Mead Lawrence the Frank Wells Last Best Place Award, named for Andrea's friend and early Alliance supporter. The Award reads: "Each of us carries a last best place in our hearts--that part of the landscape that forms a bond with nature, that nurtures our growth and restores our spirits. We know these places when our passions are engaged to protect them and secure them for future generations."

To learn more about this amazing leader please visit the Mono Lake Committee's tribute. They provide a superb review of her many outstanding contributions to the Eastern Sierra and links to articles from papers around the country. http://www.monolake.org/today/2009/03/31/in-memoriam-andrea-mead-lawrence-1932-2009/

Plans are being made by her family and ALIMAR for a public memorial. Andrea's family asked that donations be made to ALIMAR in lieu of flowers: http://www.alimar.org/index.html . ALIMAR is also gathering stories, tributes and photos of Andrea to be compiled into a publication honoring her life and vision. Please contact ALIMAR at honoringaml@alimar.org if you would like to participate.

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