Growing up on a ranch in the sage-covered hills of central Wyoming was a wonderful experience. I grew to love all that was wild and natural.

When I and others founded the Wyoming Outdoor Council in 1967, we faced grim times. Rivers caught fire, forests were felled and there were no laws to protect our air and water. The world in which we lived - our environment - was an afterthought.

I thought the times were very bad then - and they were. From its earliest days, WOC waged an uphill battle against a barrage of threats from industry and special interests to Wyoming's rich natural heritage.

Today, the situation is far worse. Our own government has sold out to the very interest attacking Wyoming's bountiful wildlife, precious wild places, clear skies and clean water. I am outraged. Everything I've fought for during my war years and more than four decades as an outspoken environmentalist, has been violated. Our hard-won victories in getting laws enacted to protect us and our environment have been turned topsy-turvy.

It is time to fight back. The Wyoming Outdoor Council has always been in the thick of the battle. Now we are in truly desperate times and we need your help. WOC's continuing success in defending Wyoming's natural treasures depends on our members pulling together and doing what is right for ourselves and our children. Your support is critical.

Sincerely,


Tom Bell,
WOC Founder