Staff Bios (Back to Online Press Kit Index)

Bill Hedden - Executive Director

Background Information:
Joined Trust in 1996 as Utah Conservation Director
30 years experience as a conservation advocate on the Colorado Plateau
Former Grand County, Utah Council member
Former Board Chair of Canyonlands Field Institute
Founding member of the Utah Board of the Nature Conservancy
Former member of Utah Board of Parks and Recreation
Granted the “Beyond the Headlines” award by the Project on Government Oversight in 1999 for his
work to clean up the contaminated Atlas tailings site near Moab, Utah

Education:
B. S. and Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University

Selected Career Highlights:
Led successful effort to prevent construction of high-level nuclear waste repository at Canyonlands
National Park entrance

Led Trust effort to retire grazing from nearly a million acres of public lands using innovative market-
based approach

Promoted federal legislation adding a major system of canyons to Arches National Park

Used market approach to remove oil and gas leases from 50,000 acres of wild lands in Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument and negotiated purchase of 10 acres of commercially zoned land in the
heart of the Monument

Current job description:
Bill is Executive Director of the Trust where he is the primary contact for its program work, leads the
fundraising efforts, and is chief architect of program strategy

Responsibilities:
Primary spokesperson for the Trust
Provides strategic direction for all programs
Manages all staff
Leads all fundraising activities
Works on grazing, open space and uranium waste issues

Contact Information:
Bill Hedden
Grand Canyon Trust
Flagstaff: 928-774-7488 Ext. 202
Moab: 435-259-5284
bhedden@grandcanyontrust.org & whedden@citlink.net

 

 

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