Carl Pope Resigns as Head of the Sierra Club

Carl Pope has stepped down as the leader of the Sierra Club, the environmental advocacy group started by the king of wilderness advocates, John Muir. Pope served as executive director of the club for 17 years, until becoming chairman in 2010.

Pope leaves as the group is suffering shrinking membership and amid concerns that under his leadership the club got too cozy with industry, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Of course, shrinking membership could have something to do with the crappy economy. The LA Times is also reporting that the Wilderness Society, another leading wilderness protection group, laid off 17 percent of its staff due to budget pressures.

Can we blame all this on the pepper spraying cop?