Greg Nickels, who made Seattle a pivotal city on the issue of climate change by leading a movement to enact the Kyoto Accords across the nation, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Cascade Land Conservancy. Nickels, former two-term Seattle mayor, also brings broad experience and knowledge of national, regional and local issues.

Nickels will join the board in May.  He presently is one of six fellows at the Institute of Politics at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he has led weekly study groups on a wide range of topics.

"I'm honored to be able to join with the CLC in this new role,” Nickels said. “Our mission is important not just in protecting our precious natural resources and open land, but in creating cities that are great places for people to live, work and raise their families."

Nickels led U.S. mayors in an ambitious plan to reduce global-warming emissions. He became known for his work on the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement (which he initiated five years ago this month on February 16, 2005), securing the agreement of more than 1,000 mayors to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol emissions standards.  He was named president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors for 2009 and was an early supporter of President Barack Obama’s successful presidential candidacy.

The Conservancy and Nickels have a long history of cooperation dating back to its beginnings in 1989 (as the King County Land Trust) when Nickels was a member of the King County Council.  In 2004, Nickels was a champion of the Green Seattle Partnership between the City, the Conservancy and the citizens of Seattle.  The Partnership launched the ambitious plan to restore and conserve 2,500 acres of forested parkland in the city.

Today the Green Seattle Partnership is one of the largest urban forest restoration programs in the country. Last year alone, nearly 85,000 hours was contributed to the partnership by an army of dedicated volunteers.  The Partnership has served as a model for the Green City Partnerships now operating in four other cities – Kirkland, Tacoma, Redmond and Kent.

“Greg will be a great addition to the board and bring an important voice to our deliberations,” said Bruce Williams, Board Chair.  “Greg’s environmental work and knowledge of regional issues will help the Conservancy to move forward in the coming years.”

“Our mission increasingly means working closely with the decision makers at the federal, state and local level,” said Gene Duvernoy, Conservancy President.  “Greg will lead the way for the Conservancy to engage these important constituencies to a much higher degree.”

Nickels, chairman of the Sound Transit board, was proud of the opening of light rail last summer and voter approval of lines out to the suburbs. He was also a strong supporter of the tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.