Senate Resolution No. 289 BY: Senator STEC CELEBRATING the life and accomplishments of Timothy L. Barnett, renowned conservationist, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavors served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Timothy L. Barnett, who left a vast legacy of land conservancy and preservation throughout the Adirondack Park, died on August 29, 2022, at the age of 82; and WHEREAS, Timothy L. Barnett, as the first Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy and for 46 years thereafter, masterfully collaborated with private landowners, local officials, industry leaders and environmentalists to protect highly coveted land throughout his long tenure; and WHEREAS, Timothy Lincoln Barnett was born in 1940, to Hildegarde (Harris) and Lincoln K. Barnett in Westport, New York, where he attended Westport Central School, the Riverdale Country School, and the Stockbridge School, followed by Middlebury College; and WHEREAS, After proudly serving his country as a member of the United States Army and its ski patrol in Garmisch, Germany, Timothy L. Barnett completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder; and WHEREAS, Timothy L. Barnett went to work for the New York City-based Louis Harris opinion polling firm where he met his wife, Claire; in 1972, the couple moved to the Adirondacks where he was invited to serve as the founding Executive Director of the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, an entity recommended by the Temporary Study Commission on the Future of the Adirondacks appointed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller; and WHEREAS, In his wonderfully engaging and congenial way, Timothy L. Barnett was a role model in conservation leadership, who not only established a state forest preserve, but also worked to create a defense system against climate change that would forever change the map of our incredible, six-million-acre Adirondack Park; and WHEREAS, After a 1997 horseback accident left him paralyzed, Timothy L. Barnett continued undaunted, to help develop Tim's Trail, a wheelchair accessible trail, named in his honor at the Nature Conservancy's Willsboro preserve, which further increased our public land's accessibility, use and visitation; and WHEREAS, Timothy L. Barnett, who never took no for an answer, found the good in everyone and always gave credit to others, successfully conserving hundreds of thousands of acres, not to keep people out, but to ensure the continued protection of the Adirondack Park's recreation and biodiverse wildlife species; and WHEREAS, Timothy L. Barnett is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Claire Lillis; two sons, Ian Kinnear and Edward MacInnes; six grandchildren; one brother, Robby Barnett; many nieces and nephews and numerous people who have come from far and near to enjoy the splendor of the Adirondack Mountains; and WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize and applaud the efforts of individuals such as Timothy L. Barnett, who worked tirelessly on behalf of protecting our natural surroundings for the benefit of present and future generations of New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of compassion, Timothy L. Barnett leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Timothy L. Barnett, renowned conservationist, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the family of Timothy L. Barnett.