The Wilderness Society, one of the country’s leading preservation charities, has eliminated 32 positions, about 17 percent of its work force, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The 76-year-old Washington organization, a key force in the development of the federal wilderness system, ran a $2.3-million deficit in fiscal year 2010, and some major, multiyear gifts have ended, spokeswoman Kitty Thomas said.

“The Wilderness Society, like so many other organizations, has been feeling the effects of a down economy, creating budget pressures,” Ms. Thomas said. “We had an obligation to meet these financial challenges.”

The move comes a month after William Meadows, the society’s president since 1996, announced he would leave his post next year and take on an advisory position.