Linda Krop – Woman of the Year

Linda Krop, EDC Chief Counsel
Honored as the 2016 Woman of the Year  by the 37th District of the California State Assembly
Guest Blog by Assemblymember Das Williams

This year, I have selected Linda Krop as Woman of the Year in recognition of her leadership during our community’s response to the devastating oil spill off Refugio Beach. This honor is also in recognition of all the years Linda has dedicated to protecting California’s Central Coast. 

As Chief Counsel at the Environmental Defense Center, Linda has been at the forefront of every fight to protect our coastlines, open spaces, and natural resources. She’s won victories in court that have led to the termination of 40 federal oil leases in our local waters and has successfully blocked new offshore oil and gas development.  When most people think of fighting for the environment, they tend to think of the folks on the frontlines holding protest demonstrations, circulating petitions, and participating in public hearings. Linda, however, knows that some of the most demanding, time consuming work occurs in the trenches: during courtroom hearings, lengthy appeals, and expensive legal battles.

None of the permanent open spaces we often take for granted in our region were always open, and the permanent preservation of these spaces is often preceded by decades of legal struggles. Linda has been able to steward the Environmental Defense Center’s legal action in a way that is not only effective, but cognizant of the bigger picture and long term goals of the organization.  When many environmental lawyers choose to litigate, they primarily do so because of financial incentives or the opportunity for personal notoriety. Again, Linda has proven that she breaks the mold in this department – she has never done this incredible work because of the money or the fame, knowing that the most important battles are also often the least prestigious.

When we look around at our paradise here and wonder how we’ve been so successful at keeping it this way, the answer is Linda Krop.  It is a great joy for me to honor someone whose passion for our natural surroundings inspires the work I do in so many ways.

Assemblymember Das Williams March 28, 2016 EDC News, Our Stories

Tags: Assemblymember Das Williams, Environmental Hero, Linda Krop, Refugio Oi Spill, Woman of the Year

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