Lloyd Meeds

Edwin Lloyd Meeds (December 11, 1927 – August 17, 2005) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1979. He represented the second district of Washington as a Democrat.

Early years Born in Dillon, Montana, Meeds moved with his family to Monroe, Washington, northeast of Seattle, in 1944. He graduated from Monroe High school in 1946, served in the United States Navy from 1946 to 1947, and graduated from Everett Junior College in 1950. Meeds owned and operated a gas station until 1954, when he returned to school. He earned his law degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane in 1958, he retired from the House and returned to practicing law in early 1979. His seat was won by former aide Al Swift.

While a congressman, Meeds was known for his work on conservation and education issues. He helped create the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and the North Cascades National Park. A memorial to Meeds was erected in 2007 at the Snow Lake trailhead near Snoqualmie Pass , in honor of his work for the creation of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Snow Lake lies within Alpine Lakes and is one of the most popular day-hike destinations in it. Harvey Manning describes Meeds' work in wilderness preservation efforts in his 2007 book Wilderness Alps: Conservation and Conflict in Washington's North Cascades published by the North Cascades Conservation Council.

In contrast to his conservation efforts in Washington state, Meeds was central to efforts to limit land preservation in the bill that eventually became the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in December 1980. Following his retirement from the House in 1979, he became a Washington lobbyist and worked closely with the state of Alaska, Representative Don Young (R-AK), and the Citizens for the Management of Alaskan Lands to limit the scope of federal land preservation in Alaska in the final bill.

Later life After his service in Congress ended in 1979, he stayed in the nation's capital as a partner in the law firm of Preston Gates Ellis, & Rouvelas Meeds, the D.C. office of Seattle-based Preston Gates & Ellis.

Death After suffering from lung cancer, Meeds died at age 77 at his home in Church Creek, Maryland, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his wife of 38 years, Mary Yang Meeds, and their daughter; he had two children from a previous marriage.