TUCSON, Ariz.— Rep. Raúl Grijalva, one of Congress’ strongest voices for the environment, civil rights, human rights and equality passed away after a battle with cancer.

“Raúl’s death is a heartbreaking, devastating loss for the people of southern Arizona and everyone around this nation who loves the natural world,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director and founder of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Raúl was a great friend and partner in our fight for clean air and water, our beautiful public lands, and wildlife great and small. We can all look to him as the model of what every member of Congress and every person of dignity and hope should aspire to be.”

During his career, Rep. Grijalva worked to protect the Endangered Species Act, strengthen the nation’s public lands and advance the cause of environmental justice. He fought tirelessly to expand protections for the Grand Canyon against uranium mining, culminating in the establishment of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. He fought efforts to expand drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and worked to end offshore oil drilling and destructive mining across the West.

Rep. Grijalva was first elected to Congress in 2002 and chose to serve on the Natural Resources Committee, where he became ranking member in 2013, and then later served as chairman. During this time, Rep. Grijalva was the critical voice who opposed hundreds of pieces of legislation brought by Republicans that sought to weaken the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Antiquities Act and other bedrock environmental laws.

“From Mexican wolves to spotted owls to the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse, every creature in this country had a friend in Raúl,” said Suckling. “He was as fierce as a jaguar, and that’s why we called him our Macho G. I'll miss him dearly.”