Last Stand: Ted Turner's Quest to Save a Troubled Planet
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Acknowledgments
Let me begin this expression of acknowledgment—and to conclude Last Stand—by sharing an observation once made by Ernest Hemingway long ago: “If a writer knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water.”
Yes, the essence of many things resides in what was previously unseen. The challenge always is to illuminate the surface while revealing what lies below or is hidden in shadow. As any writer knows, we write to understand, to try and compile a complete picture of our subjects to minimize any potential blind spots and eliminate surprises. Revelation comes from distilling down everything that you know and absorb into the elements that you believe are essential.
I am grateful to Ted Turner for opening himself up. We discussed a multitude of aspects to his life that are not in this book. He gave me unconditional, unlimited access, knowing up front that my intent was neither to write a hagiography nor to produce a shameless, tabloidy “tell-all.” This book is instead about one man’s exploration of big ideas and the motivations behind them.
Many, many people were generous in providing insights into Turner and his idiosyncrasies. I cannot possibly name every individual here, though I should note that a large number are quoted or referenced in the preceding pages. To one and all, I am profoundly thankful.
The writing of Last Stand has been a journey of unforeseen twists, turns, and discoveries as I surveyed the iceberg. Over the lengthy span that I spent conducting interviews and research, my two children, Carter and Natalie, went from being grade schoolers to young adults. They literally grew up hearing stories about their dad’s encounters with Turner and the wide arc of his life. They witnessed how the final book moved from abstract concept to a human portrait hopefully drawn with myriad dimensions.
I am indebted to them and, foremost, to my wife, Jeanne, for indulging me with time spent away and allowing me to take on a project that engulfed my focus for eight years. I also thank those critical individuals—you know who you are—who believed, unwaveringly, in this book. I offer a toast to you here and now.
Going back a couple of decades to the first interview I ever had with Turner, I’ve learned that the most valuable asset a person can have isn’t money, but time to make a difference on earth. As an expression of how fleeting and fragile time is, several remarkable people whom I interviewed for this book have since passed on. They deserve our remembrance for contributions they’ve made: Richard Holbrooke, Jim Range, Kevin Honness, Joe Truett, David Getches, Johnny Godley, Russ Peterson, Bob Wussler, and Clarence “Curly Bear” Wagner. At Lyons/Globe Pequot, special mention must be directed to Allen M. Jones, my gifted, discerning editor who provided a clear-headed, even-keeled, and indispensible role in helping me pare back and tighten the manuscript. It took a true Westerner with an innate familiarity for the West to grasp the significance of Turner’s place in it—and Allen is that person. Up the chain of command, I need to offer praise to Erin Turner, Meredith Dias, and their colleagues, including Laurie Kenney, Josh Rosenberg, and Tom Holton. Lyons is a small house that has shown itself capable of executing on an expansive project. Well done.
Six individuals within Turner’s inner circle have my eternal gratitude: Debbie Masterson, Turner’s executive assistant in Atlanta; Karen and Jim Averitt, based in Bozeman, Montana; Russ Miller, Turner’s vice president and general manager of his western ranches; Mike Phillips, a biologist who runs the Turner Endangered Species Fund; and Taylor Glover, who looks after Turner in ways that far transcends his role as the chief executive officer. This book couldn’t have happened without them.
I also thank Turner’s children and their families for making themselves available and offering enlightening windows into Ted. Beyond them, an orbit of exceptional individuals that form the core of Turner’s braintrust: former US senators Sam Nunn and Tim Wirth, and Mike Finley, who have overseen the three major foundations Turner created. Other influential figures, who similarly made themselves available for interviews, are: former US President Jimmy Carter, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Lester Brown, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Jane Fonda, Tom Brokaw, former Vice President Al Gore, John Malone, Charles Curtis, Graham Allison, Pat Mitchell, George McKerrow, Barbara Pyle, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Jane Goodall, and others who have intersected with Turner near and afar.
In addition, these people also provided vital constructive perspective, read/listened/served as sounding boards to drafts, or aided in the research/review process: Phillip Evans, Cathy Gwin, Tim Flannery, Paul Ehrlich, T. Boone Pickens, Dan Flores, Joe Gutkoski, Frank and Deborah Popper, Wes Jackson, Leon Neel, Mike Clark, Pavel Palazhchenko, Sally Ranney, Katie Distler Eckman, Cynthia MacDonald, Kristine Witherspoon, Mike Gilpin, Dan Goodman, Catherine Crier, Dennis Glick, Bob Buzzas, Ray Rasker, Elena Cizmaric, Baldwin Harris, Devon Finley, Carl Pope, Steve Topping, Terry Anderson, Kalee Kreider, Pat Clancey, Bruce Farling, Rick Peterson, Randal Dutra, John Felsing, Alex Diekmann, Al Zelver, Michael Soule, Ed Bangs, Doug Smith, L. David Mech, Steve Duerr, Greg Hagan, Bill Newmark, John Hoogland, Bill Burke (co-author of the Turner memoir Call Me Ted), Brian Kahn, Tim Sandlin, Gerald Durley, Bernice King, Susan Clark, Thomas Kaplan, Tim Crawford, Jim Peterson, Brian Schweitzer, Peter Bahouth, and others.
Last, but certainly not least, are those who gave me priceless assistance on every one of Turner’s landholdings/enterprises across the United States, in Atlanta, and in Argentina. They’re the trusted folks whom Turner regards as extended members of his own family: Tom and Linda Waddell, Steve and Janie Dobrott, Dave and Linda Dixon, Mark and Pat Kossler, Tom and Irma LeFaive, Keith and Eva Yearout, Danny Johnson, Carter Kruse, Carolyn Godley and the rest of her clan, Ray and Joanne Tudor and their clan, John and Jaynee Hansen, Frank Purvis and his clan, Raymond Bass, Bud Griffith, David Withers, Marv Jensen, David Hunter, Dustin Long, George Richards, Chris Francis, Rob Arnaud, Jim Dorn, Ray King, Val Asher, Todd Traucht , Neil Lawson, Josh Marks, Bob Biebel, Dusty Hepper, John Hurd, Tom Bragg, Terry Purdum, Johnny Covey, Jack and Gail Shell, Brian and Diane Ward, Bob and Laurie Dineen, Ty Ward, Dave Carter, Magnus McCaffery, Barb Killoren, Aaron and Alisha Paulson, Malcolm and Trudy Deane, Pablo Rehbein, Ronnie Olsen, and Gustavo Olsen—the Norwegian-Argentine boatman who was there with me on the Rio Collón Curá that autumn day when Turner put down his fly rod and started to wax/reflect on the most closely guarded aspects of his life.
APPENDIX
Turner Foundation, Inc.
TFI Grantees as of September 13, 2012
Total Giving to Date: $358 million
Grantee Names
1000 Friends of Florida
1000 Friends of New Mexico
10000 Years Institute
20/20 Vision Education Fund
2041 Foundation Incorporated
A Better Hometown Community
A Friends House
A Territory Resource
Academy for Educational Development
Academy Theatre
ACLU
Action Canada for Population and Development
Action Health Incorporated
Adelante Resource Conservation and Development Council
Adolescent Pregnancy Coalition of North Carolina
Advocacy Arts Foundation
Advocates for Youth
African Wildlife Foundation
Africare
AID Atlanta
Alabama Rivers Alliance
Alan Guttmacher Institute
Alaska Center for the Environment
Alaska Conservation Foundation
Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility
Alaska Marine Conservation Council
Alaska Public Interest Research Group
Alaska Wilderness League
Alberta Wilderness Association
Alder Volunteer Fire Department
Alfred B. Maclay, Jr. Private Day School
ALIMAR
All Saints Episcopal Church
Alliance for Affordable Energy
Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Nuclear Accountability
Alliance for School Choice
Alliance for the Rio Grande Heritage
Alliance for the Wild Rockies
Alliance for Water Efficiency
Alliance Theatre
Altamaha Riverkeeper, Inc.
Alternative Energy Resources Organization
Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc.
Amazon Alliance for Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Watch
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Bird Conservancy
American Birding Association
American Cancer Society , Inc. ‐ Georgia Chapter
American Cancer Society, Inc. ‐ Illinois Chapter
American Cancer Society, Inc. ‐ South Carolina Chapter
American Chestnut Foundation, Inc.
American Council for an Energy‐Efficient Economy
American Farmland Trust
American Fisheries Society
American Forests
American Heart Association, Inc. ‐ Florida Chapter
American Heart Association, Inc. ‐ Georgia Chapter
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation
American Indian Institute
American Jewish Committee
American Land Institute
American Lands Alliance
American Littoral Society ‐ Cape Florida Project
American Littoral Society ‐ ReefKeeper Int’l Division
American Lung Association ‐ Atlanta Chapter
American Lung Association ‐ DC Chapter
American Lung Association of the Southeast, Inc.
American Medical Women’s Association
American Museum of the Moving Image
American Music Scholarship Association
American Oceans Campaign
American Red Cross
American Rivers, Inc.
American Saddle Horse Museum Association, Inc.
American Saddlebred Special Commission
American Sail Training Association
American Solar Energy Society
American Thoracic Society, Inc.
American University
American Whitewater
American Wildlands
Americans for Equitable Climate Solutions
Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation
Americans for the Environment
American’s Wildlife Association for Resource Education
American‐Scandinavian Foundation
America’s Watershed Landkeeper
America’s Wildlife Association for Resource Education
Amigos Bravos, Inc.
Amigos of Earth
Amory Lovins‐Consultant
Anchors Away
Ancient Forest International
Andrew J. Young Foundation, Inc.
Androcles Society
Animal Health Trust US Ltd.
Animal Protection of New Mexico, Inc.
Antarctica Project
Anti‐Defamation League
AOPA Foundation, Inc.
Apalachicola Bay and Riverkeeper, Inc.
Aperture Foundation, Inc.
Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment
Appalachian Trail Conference
Appleseed Foundation/Montana Law Center
Aquidneck Island Trust
Arcadia Wildlife Preserve, Inc.
Argentina’s Ornithological Association
Arid Lands Project
Arizona Board of Regents
Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest
Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, Inc.
Arizona Memorial Museum Association
Arizona State University ‐ Department of Anthropology
Arizona State University ‐ School of Human Evolution and Social Change
Arizona‐Sonora Desert Museum
Armed Forces Foundation
Arms Control Association
Armuchee Alliance
Artemis Common Ground
Artemis Wildlife Foundation/Common Ground
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
Association for Vulsurg
Association of Small Foundations
Athens Land Trust
Athens‐Clark Heritage Foundation
Atlanta Anti‐Eating Disorders League
Atlanta Audubon Society
Atlanta Ballet, Inc.
Atlanta Bicycle Campaign
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta Boy Choir
Atlanta Children’s Shelter
Atlanta College of Art
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Atlanta Education Fund, Inc.
Atlanta Hawks Foundation, Inc.
Atlanta Historical Society, Inc.
Atlanta History Center
Atlanta Housing Authority
Atlanta International School, Inc.
Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership
Atlanta Outward Bound Center
Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning
Atlanta Resource Foundation
Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, Inc.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta Women’s Foundation Inc.
Atlanta‐Fulton County Zoo, Inc.
Atlantic Salmon Federation, Inc.
Audubon Nebraska
AVSC International
Bank Information Center
Barrett Memorial Hospital Foundation
Bass and Howes
Bat Conservation International, Inc.
Bay Area Nuclear Waste Coalition
Beartooth Nature Center
Beaufort County Open Land Trust, Inc.
Beaufort High School Theatre
Belgrade Youth Forum
Beltline Partnership, Inc.
Better World Fund
Better World Society
Bide‐a‐Wee Home Association
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Galatin County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Inc.
Big Sky Wildcare Raptor Center
Big Sky Youth Empowerment
Big Sur Arts Initiative, Inc.
Big Sur Land Trust
Big Sur Learning Project
Big Wild Advocates
Bighorn Institute
Bill Fish Foundation
Biodiversity Legal Foundation
Biodiversity Project
Bird Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary
Black Women’s Wellness Center
Blackfeet Reservation Development Fund, Inc.
Blackfoot Legacy
Blenheim Foundation
Blue Mountain Clinic, Inc.
Bluegrass Conservancy, Inc.
Bluewater Network
B’nai B’rith International
B’nai B’rith Youth Organization
Boggs Rural Life Center, Inc.
Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program
Boulder‐Lhasa Sister City Project
Boy Scouts of America ‐ Atlanta
Boy Scouts of America ‐ Coastal Carolina Council
Boys & Girls Club of America
Boys & Girls Club of Sierra County
Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lowcountry, Inc.
Boys Farm
Bozeman Deaconess Foundation for Gifting
Bozeman Public Library Foundation, Inc.
Bozeman Youth Initiative
Bread for the Journey
Bridger Clinic
Broad River Watershed Association
Broadwater County Social Services Committee
Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy
Brooks School
Brookwood School
Brown Bear Resources, Inc.
Brown College
Buckhead Baseball, Inc.
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
Buffalo Field Campaign
Business Executives for National Security Education Fund
Business for Social Responsibility Education Fund
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities Information Fund
California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
California Public Interest Research Group Charitable Trust
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Callaway Gardens
Calvert Foundation
Camp High Harbor
Campaign for a Prosperous Georgia
Campaign for America’s Wilderness
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society ‐ BC Chapter
Cancer Research Foundation
Capacity, Inc.
Caprock Partners Foundation
Captain Cooper Parent Club
Captain Planet Foundation, Inc.
CARAES Lowcountry Modeling
CARE
Caribbean Conservation Corporation
Carmel Unified School District
Carolina Art Association
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
Carrie Steele‐Pitts Home
Carter Center
Cascade County Historical Society
Cashiers Historical Society, Inc.
Castle‐Crown Wilderness Coalition