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Cecil Andrus, former Idaho gov and Interior secretary, dead at 85

Cecil Andrus -- governor of Idaho in 1971-1977 and 1987-1995 and Interior secretary in 1977-81 -- pauses in the Redwoods in the mid-1970s. (Cheryl Oestreicher / Boise State University Special Collections and Archives)
By Rich Landers richl@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508
Cecil Andrus -- governor of Idaho in 1971-1977 and 1987-1995 and Interior secretary in 1977-81 -- pauses in the Redwoods in the mid-1970s. (Cheryl Oestreicher / Boise State University Special Collections and Archives)
Cecil Andrus -- governor of Idaho in 1971-1977 and 1987-1995 and Interior secretary in 1977-81 -- pauses in the Redwoods in the mid-1970s. (Cheryl Oestreicher / Boise State University Special Collections and Archives)

CONSERVATION — Cecil Andrus, Idaho’s longest-serving governor, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Democrat, hunter, angler and champion of wilderness and the Idaho outdoors, died late Thursday after a battle with cancer, the night before his 86th birthday.

“This is one of those times when you can really say it marks the passing of an era,” Marc Johnson, Andrus’ former chief of staff and press secretary, said on Facebook. “And I fear they aren’t making them like this any more…a great, great man.”

See today’s story by S-R Boise reporter Betsy Russell.

See my story about “Eye of the Caribou,” an insider’s book detailing the Andrus commitment to conservation.

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Outdoors Blog." Read all stories from this blog