Home › Connect with Us › Blog

Loss of a Michigan Hero

Submitted by Michigan LCV on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 05:00

I read with great sadness today that the state of Michigan has lost one of its true heroes: Rusty Gates, founder of the Anglers of the Au Sable.

Honored by many over the years (including the Michigan Environmental Council) for his tenacity and determination to do what was right in the face of large obstacles, Rusty died yesterday in his home on the banks of his treasured Au Sable River.

As written in a statement by Josh Greenberg of the Gates Lodge:

"In a legal case that would define his commitment to the Au Sable River, in 2003 Gates, as President of the Anglers of the Au Sable, challenged a US Forest Service lease that would allow exploratory drilling for gas below the famed Mason Tract section of the South Branch of the Au Sable. With the odds stacked against them, the Anglers prevailed in their case against the Forest Service, forever altering how the business of gas and oil exploration would be conducted in the fragile areas of Michigan."

May Rusty's legacy live on in all of us.
 

Comments

Remembering Rusty Gates

Submitted by Lana Pollack (not verified) on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 16:04.

Rusty Gates was a man of exceptional vision and determination and one who said what he wanted you to hear directly and clearly. Mostly what he wanted us to hear is that Michigan is home to great natural areas that deserve to be protected. His passing is a tremendous loss to conservationists and environmental advocates, and to Michigan as a whole. We will honor him best by recdoubling our efforts to protect Michigan's magnificent natural resources.