th ia ▁R ous h ▁of ▁Seattle , ▁is ▁vice ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ▁Justice ▁Leg al ▁Def ense ▁Fund . ▁ ▁Upon ▁present ing ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁President ial ▁Medal ▁of ▁Fre edom , ▁President ▁Cl inton ▁said , ▁" Ed gar ▁Way burn ▁has ▁worked ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁most ▁breath - t aking ▁examples ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁landscape . ▁In ▁fact , ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁half - century , ▁both ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Sierra ▁Club ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁citiz en , ▁he ▁has ▁saved ▁more ▁of ▁our ▁w ilder ness ▁than ▁any ▁person ▁alive ." ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁editor ial ▁comm ending ▁this ▁award , ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁wrote , ▁" The ▁White ▁House ▁has ▁made ▁a ▁well - in formed ▁choice ▁in ▁selecting ▁Way burn , ▁ 9 2 , ▁as ▁a ▁recip ient ▁next ▁Wed nes day ▁of ▁the ▁Medal ▁of ▁Fre edom , ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁highest ▁civil ian ▁honor . ▁' We ▁should ▁pass ▁on ▁to ▁future ▁gener ations ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁enjoy ▁these ▁places ▁and ▁not ▁have ▁them ▁transformed ▁into ▁ordinary ▁places ,' ▁Way burn ▁said ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁not ified ▁of ▁the ▁honor . ▁That ▁legacy ▁is ▁more ▁exp ans ive ▁today ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁quiet ▁work ▁of ▁this ▁committed ▁man ." ▁ ▁Way burn ▁was ▁hon ored ▁at ▁a ▁ 4 0 th ▁An ni versary ▁G ala ▁C ele br ation ▁as ▁the ▁recip ient ▁of ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁Howard ▁C .