I am delighted to announce that the Wyoming Outdoor Council has received the largest gift in its 35-year history: a $500,000 grant from the Scott Opler Foundation. This extraordinary contribution will be placed in the Tom Bell 21st Century WOC Endowment fund, named in honor of WOC's founder and established in the spring of 2001 with a $100,000 donation from a WOC member.

The Scott Opler Foundation, directed by Jackson Hole resident Kathe Henry, has been a true friend and generous supporter of WOC for many years. In the past, the foundation has made several multi-year gifts to WOC that have helped us increase the effectiveness of our environmental-protection and wildlands-conservation efforts.

The Legacy of Scott Opler

The foundation is named in honor of scholar, artist and activist Scott Opler. Born in 1956, Scott received his BA from Princeton University, his MA from Williams College and was a Ph.D. candidate in art history at Harvard University. Despite his HIV infection, he continued his work and his community activism until his death in 1993.

Shortly before succumbing to AIDS-related complications, Scott created and funded the foundation. Today, the foundation's directors continue Scott's legacy by furthering his work in remembrance of his life.

The Scott Opler Foundation's grants focus on three areas: studying and preserving art and architecture, particularly works of the Italian Renaissance; conserving nature, preserving wildlife habitats, the environment and natural resources; and supporting and providing AIDS-related services and education.

The Tom Bell 21st Century WOC Endowment

The Tom Bell 21st Century WOC Endowment is a stable, long-term resource, providing WOC with a steady stream of annual income while preserving capital. It assures that WOC will always be a force working to protect Wyoming's enviable water and air quality, bountiful wildlife and treasured wildlands. The principal of gifts to the endowment is maintained in perpetuity or on terms specified by donors. Only revenue from the endowment is used to fund WOC programs.

In creating the endowment, WOC's Board of Directors stressed the need to ensure that WOC's investments are not counter to our mission. Consequently, WOC avoids investing in companies which profit from irresponsible natural-resource extraction or have a recognized history of environmental pollution. We invest endowment funds primarily in mutual funds that are screened for environmental and social responsibility. In the case of individual stocks, WOC's investment advisor screens each company. When WOC receives gifts consisting of stocks in companies incompatible with our mission, we dispose of those investments in a financially sound manner.

An Exciting Opportunity

The Tom Bell 21st Century WOC Endowment provides our members and friends with an exciting opportunity to help protect the future of Wyoming's wildlands, wildlife and environment. For more information on how you can donate appreciated securities (and deduct such donations from your income-tax bill) and/or include a gift to WOC in your will, please contact associate director Christine Lichtenfels.

Dan Heilig

Editor's note: After 11 years of tireless work, Dan is taking a well-deserved sabbatical this summer to enjoy the Wyoming he has fought so hard to protect.