Wilderness Thoughts
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ― John Muir
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”― Chris Maser
“To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.” ― Aldo Leopold
“We had no choice. Sadness was as dangerous as panthers and bears. The wilderness needs your whole attention.” ― Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.”
― Jimmy Carter
Legislation
H.R.1 passed the following legislation which does the following:
Rescinds common-sense reforms requiring the oil and gas companies to pay market rates to lease public lands and clean up after themselves;
Sharply curtails reforms of public input to fossil fuel leasing and permitting decisions;
Requires quarterly lease sales of public land for oil and gas extraction;
Changes federal law to prioritize mining on public lands and repeals existing protections that keep from harming our health, safety, communities and treasured landscapes and,
Undermines the fundamental purpose of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) a bedrock law that has served our country and our environment for more than 50 years. It limits the scope of reviews by the federal agencies.
Nature isn't just a place to visit,,,it's home. From the The Wilderness Society
Closing Thoughts
A Boy Scout was happy he caught up with the rest of the troop. He saw there was a river separating him from the troop. He called out, "How do I get to the other side?"
An older and wiser Scout called back, "You are on the other side."
Although we did not see much of her in the last few years, we will miss knowing that Rosalynn Carter was in Plains, Georgia. Just hearing her name spurred us to do the right thing.