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Jeff Jones grew up in California, on the fringes of Los Angeles with his feet firmly planted in two worlds. “We lived on the edge of the city, where the desert met the megalopolis,” Jeff says. “We looked one way and saw the relentlessly chewing up every inch of open space, creating suburbs of cookie-cutter homes, freeways and smog. Then we looked the other way, and saw the high desert mountains, with their landscape of yucca, cactus and chaparral.”Denial was a way of life in Southern California, at least concerning the environment. “Even as the city was devouring the land, we still thought of ourselves as living in the wild west,” Jeff says. “We had the desert, the oceans, the San Gabrielle and Sierra Nevada mountains. But all the while they were being eaten away by the developers.”So it came as quite a revelation to Jeff when he moved to New York City in the mid-1960s and began visiting nearby wild places, especially the Catskill and the Adirondack mountains. “When I first came to New York, I was amazed to find such of wealth of wilderness,” Jeff remembers. “I was very impressed to learn of this state’s remarkable history of environmental stewardship, especially the Forever Wild clause of the state Constitution. To have protected so much land from over-development in such a populous state is a remarkable achievement, and one worth defending.”Jeff is not only concerned with defending New York's wild lands. He devotes a great deal of time to fighting for the urban environment as well. "We can enjoy the six million acre Adirondack Park, but it's also important that people living in the cities have access to parks and the waterfront," he says. "When we work to protect the wilderness, we must also protect community gardens. When we cut the pollution that causes acid rain, we are also cutting emissions that cause asthma. We need a statewide vision to build the strongest environmental movement possible."As Environmental Advocates’ communications director, Jeff coordinates media policies. He is responsible for relations with the press and oversees publication of the Voters’ Guide, Albany Report and The Greensheet. |
