Mac Blewer, WOC’S Outreach Coordinator and leading Red Desert rat, has packed his bags, but only his bags. He headed to Washington, D.C. in early August to continue his work on behalf of the Red Desert and America’s public lands. But his heart remains in Wyoming and he promises he’ll return once his mission is accomplished.

Mac accepted a position as the public lands legislative representative for the National Wildlife Federation in Washington. He’s excited about the new challenge and eager to try to make a difference for the environment on a national scale, although he admits he’s a bit wary about the move to the city.

"I was out on White Mountain in the Red Desert earlier this summer looking out at the Boar’s Tusk and the Sands and I thought, am I crazy?" Mac muses. "But I’ll be back. Wyoming is still my home.

"It has been a rewarding six years here at WOC and I have been incredibly proud to work with such great folks," he adds. "Thank you all for the experience and for the opportunity. I will always be grateful for the time that I have spent working for such a gutsy, effective, hard-hitting grassroots group. It has also been a true privilege getting to know an amazing landscape. Goodness knows, Wyoming and the West need WOC and all of you here."

During his time at WOC, Mac helped bring the magic of the Red Desert to an increasingly wide and diverse audience. Just this past June, he worked with representatives of the United Steelworkers Union in Rock Springs to come up with a position statement advocating conservation in the Jack Morrow Hills. Mac also played a key role in packing in the pro-conservation crowds at public meetings on the Red Desert with his constant email alerts and friendly phone calls. His tenacity and fearless willingness to be controversial have been important tools in WOC’s fight to protect the Red Desert.

WOC will miss Mac’s dedication and devotion to his adopted homeland and looks forward to seeing him back in the area when the summer humidity and the daily traffic of Washington drive him back to Wyoming’s wide open spaces.

"We will miss Mac’s passion for engaging the public in dialogue, seeking out and appreciating different perspectives, building strong and diverse coalitions, and his relentless and contagious commitment to Red Desert protection efforts. But we know he will not be able to stay away from the Red Desert for long," says former executive director Dan Heilig.

Thanks, Mac, and good luck.