Dave Upthegrove, the Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, got his start as an environmental activist as a college student. Now, he helps manage the state’s public lands and leads the Department of Natural Resources; last week, he shared his environmental work, values and challenges with students at Gonzaga University.
During his visit to campus on Feb. 24, Upthegrove visited classes, met with faculty members, visited the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center and gave a public lecture. Upthegrove said he was honored to visit GU and hopes students walked away with an increased understanding of the department and environment.
“It was a jam-packed day,” Upthegrove said. “The goal was to try to uplift and inspire students, to educate them about the work of the agency, to promote the need to take steps to address climate change – and the students wore me out.”…