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.