Ron Mitchell

Ron Mitchell
75
Ron Mitchell, one of the West's premier conservationists, died in Boise, Idaho, on May 12, 2020. He was 75 years old.
Ron grew up with his family in rural Nampa, Idaho. In his teens, he served as a Salvation Army missionary in Peru. He attended Northwest Nazarene College and graduated from Portland State University with a degree in philosophy and world history. Upon graduation, he returned to Idaho and put his degree to work as a ski patroller. He was a fan of boxing and an accomplished amateur boxer.
Ron was an outdoorsman with knowledge, understanding, awe, and respect for Idaho's wild lands. He loved to fish, and he was a good fly tier. He hunted elk, deer, antelope, and upland game birds. He always hunted on foot, and he packed his game out on foot. His writing and photographs appeared in national hunting and fishing publications such as Field & Stream magazine. He wrote a guidebook to the alpine lakes of the Sawtooth Mountains.
He came to his life's work as a conservationist because of his love of the outdoors. In the '80s, some of his favorite fishing and hunting areas were being logged, and Ron was determined to protect the Central Idaho landscape he revered.
Ron founded, and was executive director of, the Idaho Sporting Congress (ISC). Under his leadership, the ISC successfully appealed and litigated U.S. Forest Service logging projects in central and north Idaho for over a decade. He often enlisted relatively inexperienced young attorneys, and he helped launch several impressive careers in environmental law. Countless acres of Idaho's wild lands remain untouched today because of Ron's work.
He sought no recognition for his conservation work, but he would set the record straight when others tried to claim credit for his accomplishments. He always said, "I did what I thought I had to do. Nothing more. Not much of a choice, really." Others readily acknowledged his efforts; Ron received national recognition when he was awarded the Chevron Conservation Award.
Ron never drew a real salary for his conservation work. One of the young attorneys who represented the ISC said, "Ron was poor, because he was honest." He would not compromise for the sake of partial victories. His last years were impoverished, and his health was precarious. He devoted five of those years to caring for his infirm mother.
Ron was a private man, a bit of a hermit, a loyal friend to many, and a captivating storyteller. He had an expansive vocabulary and great sense of humor. He died as he was telling a funny story to a nurse caring for him in the hospital.
Ron is survived by his sister, LaNora M. Myers.
A memorial gathering of remembrance will be held for Ron Mitchell this fall, just ahead of the start of elk hunting season. It will be held in in the Payette National Forest, but not in any of Ron's secret hunting spots.