Why Louis Bacon should be Environmentalist of the Year

Since his childhood, Louis Bacon has been a dedicated philanthropist. His lifelong ambition to save environmental assets for the benefit of mankind has ensured the protection of areas that would have otherwise suffered damage or destruction. The effect of environmental protection work cannot be understated; the smallest effort has the capacity to significantly alter the destiny of natural landscapes and animal habitats.

His drive to save the environment inspired his creation of The Moore Charitable Foundation in 1992, which has strived to protect areas in southern Colorado, New York, eastern North Carolina and Long Island.

His donations for conservation easement through this Foundation have been the largest ever received by the federal government in Colorado, which have seen Louis Bacon give 90,000 acres of his Trinchera Blanca Ranch to the cause.

In North Carolina, the restoration of the rice fields, pine forest and marshes at the Orton Plantation by his Foundation has helped defeat the extinction of great egrets, herons and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

A branch of the Moore Charitable Foundation in Long Island – the Robins Island Foundation – has helped to guard the delicate habitats on the island, which is home to endangered shore birds such as Piping Plovers and Least Terns.

Louis Bacon’s efforts have not only been centred on the United States. His hard work in the Bahamas led to the creation of the Bahamas Clifton Heritage Authority, which oversees the Clifton Heritage National Park that was established following the successful defeat of development plans in the area. Alongside local and national figures, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Louis Bacon fought for the protection of the historic area of Clifton, which has a rich cultural history.  

He has been recognised for his work by important organisations, such as the National Audubon Society, who in January 2013 awarded him with the impressive Audubon Medal. The accolade has only been awarded to 51 recipients during the society’s 107 year existence.

The success of his efforts and his passion for protection makes Louis Bacon an ideal candidate for Environmentalist of the Year. Despite the difficulty of safeguarding ever-eroding land and halting large-scale developments, he has continued to strive for a better environment, and it is for this reason he should be considered one of the greatest philanthropists of recent years.