Wild Profile: Norm Winn

Norm Winn
Former Board Member/Founding Member of the Legacy Society

We could not publish our 40th Anniversary newsletter without mentioning Norman Winn. A now-retired environmentalist, attorney, and enthusiastic mountain climber, Norm and his late-wife, Karyl, moved to Seattle in 1967 in pursuit of high alpine outdoor adventures among the rugged peaks of Washington State. In his words, “I moved to Washington to mountain climb.” In the years following their move to the Pacific Northwest, Norm became a recognized and highly respected name within conservation and outdoor recreation circles. His love for alpine climbing led him to become a highly-skilled climb leader within the Seattle-based Mountaineers Club, climbing and leading on such peaks as Liberty Bell, Eldorado Peak, Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Rainier, Glacier Peak, and many more. Norman is a true man of many talents who utilized every hour of the day, when he wasn’t working, hiking, biking with Karyl, or leading hikes, he occupied his time serving as Board President of The Mountaineers Club during the mid-seventies, and a member of the conservation division for three decades. His efforts culminated in some spectacular successes, including successfully lobbying for both the Alpine Lakes Wilderness bill and the 1984 Washington Wilderness bill. 

 With everything that Norm did for wild spaces in Washington State, it was only a matter of time before Washington Wild would knock on his door. And sure enough, in the late 1980s, Washington Wild co-founder, Karen Fant approached him. She asked for him to not just join the organization, but to take the helm as Board Chair and assist with a search to hire the first Executive Director of Washington Wild. Norm agreed and from 1990 – 1993 he served as our Board Chair. 

When asked why he continues to support Washington Wild, Norm will tell you the story of the bipartisan work he did to ensure the Wild Sky Wilderness bill passed. He will tell you about Washington Wild transcending party lines in order to protect Washington State’s precious wild lands and waters. He will tell you that as a founding member of the Karen M. Fant Conservation Legacy Society, he hopes that Washington State will one day be known as the state that got conservation right. Norm carries the pride of his work with him every day, and Washington Wild is honored to have Norm as a member, mentor, and ally.