Downtown in Boise in Ada County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)

Lumberjack to Statesman

Cecil D. Andrus: A Legacy of Conservation

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, June 27, 2023

1. Cecil D. Andrus: A Legacy of Conservation Marker

Inscription.

Lumberjack to Statesman. Cecil D. Andrus: A Legacy of Conservation. Cecil D. Andrus was a tireless advocate for conservation. He helped create cooperative agreements for the management of lands in Idaho, preserving thousands of square miles of land for public recreational use. He opposed irresponsible mining projects in some of Idaho’s most spectacular places, helped gain federal support for many of Idaho’s wilderness and recreational areas, and implemented protections for our rivers and streams. Through his service as the United States Secretary of the Interior, Andrus had a major impact on other states as well, spearheading passage of the Alaska Lands Act and the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act., Photo inset one: , Cecil D. Andrus called himself an 'accidental' politician. The role suited him well. In his mid-twenties he was working at a sawmill in Orofino, Idaho. After attending a town hall meeting, he was unsatisfied with his state senator's response to education issues. At the age of 29 he decided to run against the incumbent state senator and won. Andrus was elected as a state senator form Clearwater County in 1960, '62, and '64 on the platform of improving education in rural areas of the state., Photo inset two: , Cecil Andrus was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, hiking and rafting., Photo inset two: , Governor of Idaho , Andrus first ran for governor in 1966, but lost. After being elected again as a state senator in 1968 he was elected governor of Idaho in 1970 after campaigning against an open pit mine in the White Cloud Mountains in central Idaho. He was twice elected governor before being chosen to serve as President Carter's Interior Secretary from 1978-81. After a break from office, Andrus was twice again elected governor, serving from 1987-1995. Andrus remained actively involved in conservation and education issues until his death in 2017., Photo inset three: , Interior Secretary Cecil D. Andrus and President Jimmy Carter , Andrus had many accomplishments during his time as Interior Secretary. He helped to protect over 150 million acres of land in Alaska, furthered protections for scenic rivers in California, and made many contributions to protecting lands in Idaho. After a successful term at the Interior Department, he returned to Idaho. In 1983, he told Newsweek "The reason so many people live on the East Coast is that they don't know any better. I prefer the Western way of life where people treat you the same way to your face that they do behind your back.", Photo inset four: , A major part of Cecil D. Andrus's legacy involved advocacy of a comprehensive national policy addressing nuclear waste. He opposed nuclear waste storage in Idaho, took the federal government to court to enforce environmental laws and warned of the danger of disposing of waste above the Snake River Aquifer.

Cecil D. Andrus was a tireless advocate for conservation. He helped create cooperative agreements for the management of lands in Idaho, preserving thousands of square miles of land for public recreational use. He opposed irresponsible mining projects in some of Idaho’s most spectacular places, helped gain federal support for many of Idaho’s wilderness and recreational areas, and implemented protections for our rivers and streams. Through his service as the United States Secretary of the Interior, Andrus had a major impact on other states as well, spearheading passage of the Alaska Lands Act and the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Photo inset one:
Cecil D. Andrus called himself an 'accidental' politician. The role suited him well. In his mid-twenties he was working at a sawmill in Orofino, Idaho. After attending a town hall meeting, he was unsatisfied with his state senator's response to education issues. At the age of 29 he decided to run against the incumbent state senator and won. Andrus was elected as a state senator form Clearwater County in 1960, '62, and '64 on the platform of improving education in rural areas of the state.

Photo inset two:
Cecil Andrus was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, hiking and rafting.

Photo inset two:
Governor
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Andrus first ran for governor in 1966, but lost. After being elected again as a state senator in 1968 he was elected governor of Idaho in 1970 after campaigning against an open pit mine in the White Cloud Mountains in central Idaho. He was twice elected governor before being chosen to serve as President Carter's Interior Secretary from 1978-81. After a break from office, Andrus was twice again elected governor, serving from 1987-1995. Andrus remained actively involved in conservation and education issues until his death in 2017.

Photo inset three:
Interior Secretary Cecil D. Andrus and President Jimmy Carter
Andrus had many accomplishments during his time as Interior Secretary. He helped to protect over 150 million acres of land in Alaska, furthered protections for scenic rivers in California, and made many contributions to protecting lands in Idaho. After a successful term at the Interior Department, he returned to Idaho. In 1983, he told Newsweek "The reason so many people live on the East Coast is that they don't know any better. I prefer the Western way of life where people treat you the same way to your face that they do behind your back."

Photo inset four:
A major part of Cecil D. Andrus's legacy involved advocacy of a comprehensive national policy addressing nuclear waste. He opposed nuclear waste

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, June 27, 2023

2. Cecil D. Andrus: A Legacy of Conservation Marker

storage in Idaho, took the federal government to court to enforce environmental laws and warned of the danger of disposing of waste above the Snake River Aquifer.

Erected by City of Boise Parks and Recreation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1960.

Location. 43° 36.998′ N, 116° 12.023′ W. Marker is in Boise, Idaho, in Ada County. It is in Downtown. It is on W Bannock Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Boise ID 83702, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Idaho’s Snake River Plain.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sawtooth National Recreation Area (here, next to this marker); Central Idaho Wilderness Act (here, next to this marker); Hells Canyon (here, next to this marker); Snake River Birds of Prey Area (here, next to this marker); Abraham Lincoln and Idaho (within shouting distance of this marker); Operation Desert Storm Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Frank Steunenberg (within shouting distance of this marker); Idaho's Liberty Bell Replica (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boise.

Also see . . . Cecil Andrus Dies At 85, Leaving A Legacy That Goes Far Beyond Idaho

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During a 2011 interview with Idaho Public Television, Andrus said that his proudest accomplishment was steering the preservation of more than 100 million acres in Alaska.

(Submitted on February 26, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 25, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 138 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 25, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.