Let’s Speak Up

I read the Mountain Messenger every week with envy because of the many articles that reflect the lovely outdoors surrounding Downieville. Here back east, I find my wilderness in Maine. Last week I spent an overnight on Birch Island, a two-acre paradise on Spednic Lake, an area managed and protected by the Woodie Wheaton Land Trust.

I recently read with unhappiness that some members of Congress tried to target millions of acres of federally managed open space to sell for private use and development. I always had a mind that once open space was designated as federally protected, it was forever. Not so. Like so many Constitutional rights we thought we had, the right to open space preserved by the federal government years ago is under attack. The land under the stewardship of the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management is most vulnerable, and the map showing those spaces illustrates just how much of what we take for granted about wildlife and land conservation could be fair game for developers and private industry. Most of the Sierras are managed by the USFS.

Fortunately—this time—the proposed amendment to the tax bill to allow the sale was ruled out of order and withdrawn on procedural grounds. This time. The amendment was highly controversial, and outdoor enthusiasts and conservation groups rose up, and lawsuits were filed. But this issue hasn’t gone away. Though it has now become politicized, enjoying and appreciating the outdoors transcends party affiliations. Like town commons, protected land is something that belongs to all of us, and we must be vigilant in monitoring it—and vote accordingly—if we expect our children and grandchildren to enjoy the same wilderness spaces that we do.