Washington, D.C.– Legislation to improve the Udall Foundation, while also honoring one of the great public servant and conservationist of the era, Stewart L. Udall, passed the U.S. House of Representatives today.

This bill now goes to the Senate.

Introduced by Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva, H.R. 1035, will enhance the foundation’s operations, and rename the agency the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, in recognition of the Interior Secretary’s historic contributions.

Stewart L. Udall was Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and author of the best-selling book on environmental attitudes in the U.S., The Quiet Crisis (1963). As Secretary of Interior, Stewart Udall had an unmatched record of environmental leadership, overseeing the creation of 4 national parks, 6 national monuments, 8 national seashores and lakeshores, 9 recreation areas, 20 historic sites, and 56 wildlife refuges. He continued to make substantial contributions to environmental and Native American policy as a lawyer and author following his tenure at Interior.

“I am very happy that the House has passed this important piece of legislation,” said Grijalva. “It is imperative that Stewart Udall’s accomplishments continue to be honored in this way. Throughout his career, he pioneered conservationist’s attitudes. He created awareness in the country about the importance of protecting and preserving the environment.”

Established by Congress in 1992, the Udall Foundation’s mission was to provide educational opportunities for studies related to the environment and Native American tribal policy and health care. In 1998, Congress expanded the mission to include resolving conflicts related to the environment, natural resources and public lands through services including mediation, facilitation and training. Through its education programs, the Udall Foundation identifies and educates tomorrow’s leaders in fields that are critical to the energy, climate change and economic issues facing our nation.