Vim Wright was friend to farmers and the land

V. "Vim" Crane Wright believed in ethical treatment of the land and fought to preserve an ecosystem where soil, plants, animals and humans all played equal roles.

A prominent environmentalist, Mrs. Wright once lay before bulldozers in Colorado to save the Florissant Fossil Beds. She served as the assistant director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Washington and founded many environmental organizations. Her efforts also included helping environmentalists and farmers work together.

"She was always positive and determined that you could make something happen even when everyone else gave up on it," said Jennifer Belcher, former commissioner of public lands. "She was tireless and worked very hard and was well-known for her energy and commitment for the causes she believed in."

Mrs. Wright died of lung cancer Sunday (June 1), three days shy of her 77th birthday.

Born June 4, 1926, in Istanbul, Turkey, Mrs. Wright was adopted by an American military family and raised in Baltimore. Her love of nature began early, as her father and adopted father taught her to love birds.

In the 1940s, she married Edward "Skip" Wright Jr., and had two sons. While her husband served in the military, Mrs. Wright became active in the Republican Party and remained active in outdoor activities.

Following a divorce, Mrs. Wright moved to Colorado, where she gained recognition for grass-roots environmental efforts. In addition to saving the fossil beds, she also brought a halt to predator-control programs and mining of wild lands in western Colorado.

In 1977, Mrs. Wright moved to Seattle to take the position of assistant director of the Institute for Environmental Studies, a job she held for 15 years, before the UW department closed.

"Interdisciplinary environmental education has suffered because of that," said Joan Thomas, a longtime friend and founder of the Washington Environmental Council, of the program's closure.

In recent years, Mrs. Wright pioneered the Farming and Environment Project, to help farmers and environmentalists in an effort to save the properties of cash-strapped farmers. She also became the first non-farmer appointed to the Washington Conservation Commission (WCC), the body that serves farm communities in the state.

With the Farming and Environment Project, Mrs. Wright was able to secure important grants for research.

As chair of the WCC, she encouraged good conservation practices, helped farmers obtain pro bono legal help and purchase farm land that was in danger of being lost to developers.

"She was determined — cool, calm," Thomas said. "She never gave up. She had a talent for setting direction, and having people move in that direction."

For her environmental work, Mrs. Wright was honored with the Feinstone Award for environmental achievement and as an "Environmental Hero" by the Washington Environmental Council.

Mrs. Wright also belonged to many environmental organizations, including Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Washington Conservation Voters and People for Puget Sound. She also served with the National Resources Foundation and Blue Ribbon Committee on Old Growth Timber.

Mrs. Wright was preceded in death by her ex-husband and a son, Edward. She is survived by her son John Wright, 53, of Denver; granddaughter Kelli Wright, 24, of Greece; and two great-grandchildren, Celeste, 6, and Teddy, 1.

A memorial service for Mrs. Wright will be held from 3 to 6 p.m., June 22, at Discovery Park's Daybreak Cultural Center, 3801 W. Government Way. Memorials may be made in Mrs. Wright's name to the Washington Environment Council, 615 Second Ave. #380, Seattle, WA 98104 or to the Foster Creek Conservation District's "Vim Wright Legacy Fund," P.O. Box 428, Waterville, WA 98850-0428.

J.J. Jensen: 206-464-2386 or jjensen@seattletimes.com.

Staff reporter Craig Welch contributed to this report.