Maxine Johnston, Conservation Gadfly: Big Thicket National Preserve

We first learned about the important work First Lady Lady Bird Johnson did for the United States while at the visitor center of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Given our podcast’s focus on national parks, we were especially interested in her work on conservation and beautification. With March being Women’s History Month, we wanted to further explore her accomplishments. This episode focuses on the First Lady’s accomplishments as a conservationist--referred to as “Shadow Secretary of the Interior” by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt--in her own words, using excerpts of her audio diaries from the LBJ Presidential Library website and other sources.

Lady Bird Johnson’s impact was tremendous. President Johnson of course realized that and made a special presentation to her on July 28, 1968. He gave her 50 pens that had been used to sign legislation related to conservation and beautification, only a portion of the 300 conservation measures that he signed into law, the legal foundation of the contemporary environmental movement. He also gave her a plaque that read, “"To Lady Bird, who has inspired me and millions of Americans to try to preserve our land and beautify our nation. With love from Lyndon."

Her impact was far-reaching and went well beyond the “beautification” campaign she is known for. She was a very public champion of preservation of our natural space and that was by design. With Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, she launched “Discover America” which were trips to national parks that were meant to inspire conservation and encourage tourism. The scale was impressive: 100,000 miles, 40 tours all over the country and engaging in a wide range of activities: criscrossing the country while rafting, hiking, camping, beachcombing, stargazing, and learning about American Indian culture. These trips drew widespread press attention, both domestically and internationally, and encouraged people to visit the parks.

The national parks were an important part of President Johnson’s legislative agenda. He created or expanded close to 50 units: https://www.nps.gov/lyjo/planyourvisit/upload/EnvironmentCS2.pdf These units spanned the country and were also in urban areas as both President and Lady Bird Johnson believed it was important that all Americans had access to their parks. It was also during the Johnson Presidency that national recreation areas and the national trails system were enacted. The legislation for national trails emphasized the creation of trails in both rural and urban areas.

Check out a new book and podcast solely focused on Lady Bird Johnson and her pivotal role. The diaries are a main reference for this work done by Julia E. Sweig (juliasweig.com).

Episode Highlights:

00:42 Introduction
02:49 Excerpt of Lady Bird John interview conducted by Michael L. Gillette, discussing
10:10 Lady Bird Johnson explaining meaning of beautification
10:35 Lady Bird Johnson describing an initial meeting with Interior Secretary Stewart Udall
11:59 Outdoor Organization Feature
13:51 Lady Bird Johnson describing Padre Island National Seashore dedication ceremony
18:20 Lady Bird Johnson describing Point Reyes National Seashore dedication ceremony
20:24 Excerpt of Lady Bird Johnson’s remarks at Point Reyes National Seashore dedication ceremony (“Faces of the West” Navy Film)
21:42 Excerpt of Lady Bird Johnson’s remarks at Redwood National Forest dedication ceremony
28:06 Lady Bird Johnson quoting Henry David Thoreau

References:

Audio diaries and annotated transcripts, Lady Bird Johnson, LBJ Presidential Library
“Faces of the West,” Navy Film + more on podcast website