John Muir-Yosemite California State Quarter

March 29, 2004

Sierra Club Applauds Selection of John Muir-Yosemite Design For California State Quarter

Statement by Bruce Hamilton, Conservation Director

"The Sierra Club applauds Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for selecting the John Muir-Yosemite design for the California State Quarter. We also congratulate artist Garrett Burke for submitting a winning design that pays such a wonderful tribute to California's natural and human heritage.

"California has been blessed with incredible natural beauty and Yosemite is universally considered our crown jewel. Millions of people come from around the world each year to catch a glimpse of Yosemite's splendor, and countless more experience its stunning beauty through the photographs of Ansel Adams and other artists. It is a testament to how our lives can be touched by the natural world and is a reminder of how much California's past and future are connected to its environment.

"It is also fitting that the design includes the image of John Muir, whom we have to thank for protecting Yosemite and for founding the Sierra Club over a century ago. He spawned a conservation movement that has helped protect natural treasures here in California but also nationally and internationally. John Muir is a symbol of what one inspired person can accomplish within and beyond his or her lifetime. The Sierra Club, which now boasts over 700,000 members and chapters in every state, is proud to work with over 20,000 volunteers, who carry on John Muir's vision. In honoring Muir, we honor each of them as well.

"The Sierra Club is also pleased that the quarter will feature another conservation success story in the image of the California condor. The condor, the largest flying bird in North America, once disappeared from our skies because humans destroyed its habitat. Their slow but steady recovery further reminds us what we as a society are capable of accomplishing when we work together for a common good. The condor in flight, like the images of Yosemite and John Muir, reflect California and America at its best."

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