Soda Mountain near Ashland is among Oregon's wild lands that need lasting protection.Through a coach's eyes, I watched the 140-pound freshman fly all over the football field at Silverton High. Matt Brockamp played with reckless abandon, humbling the opposition.
Beaver Basin, a remote corner of Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, is a place of timeless serenity.
Bald eagles and river otters like the fishing at 765-acre Beaver Lake; loon calls echo over the water at twilight. Ten thousand acres of quiet woodlands nestle Beaver Lake and the nearby Lake Superior shoreline. The adjacent and aptly-named 12 Mile Beach is a credible nominee for the best beach walk in the state.
Our grandchildren will have the same opportunities for memorable visits to this place that we have -- if Congress acts decisively next week.
The Oregon lands boast a rich diversity of plants and animals. Any wilderness bill is almost certain to get lost in the next Congress, overwhelmed by the pressing issues of the economy and war. When the lame duck Congress arrives back in Washington next week, it should quickly take up and pass a sweeping public lands bill that would forever protect nearly 2 million acres of land, including five special places in Oregon.
This Congress can't begin to fix all that's wrong with this country in a short lame duck session, but it can leave an important public land legacy.
All eyes are now on Barack Obama's transition team and the new Congress that will convene next year. But between now and then, there is unfinished business to attend to.
If Congress returns, as expected, to Washington, D.C., after the Nov. 4 election to work on a new economic stimulus bill, Oregon's delegation must find a way to secure passage of this state's first major wilderness expansion in nearly a quarter century.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has helped pave the way by agreeing to consider a public lands bill that could add nearly 2 million acres in eight states to the nation's 107 million-acre inventory of lands protected under the federal Wilderness Act.
Pardon me for rhapsodizing about Wyoming and its wilderness.
For me, each trip to Wyoming begins with unfolding the map to savor memories of earlier visits and old Wyoming friends.
I visualize the Tetons, recalling pleasant bone-weariness earned on long hikes, forever connected with memories of my stays with the great conservationist Mardy Murie in her cabin on the bank of the Snake River.
It looks increasingly likely that both the Senate and the House will return to Washington after the election to address the economy and, possibly, to pass a new stimulus bill. If they do, we urge them to find time for one other piece of business - a public lands bill that, at modest expense, could add nearly two million acres to the nation's store of permanently protected wilderness.
Allegheny National Forest in north west Pennsylvania is perhaps the most exploited public forest in the country. On its 533,000 acres are more than 10,000 active gas and oil wells (more than all other national forests combined), 2,700 miles of roads and thousands of acres that are harvested, "thinned" and selectively cut every year. It has numerous recreational facilities, including 224 miles of snowmobile trails.
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System turns 40 years old this month. A segment of the Rio Grande in New Mexico received federal protection as one of the "instant eight" wild rivers when the bill was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1968.
The wild stretch of the Rio Grande begins at the Colorado state line, extending downstream to the State Highway 96 crossing. An additional 12-mile segment of the Rio Grande downstream was later designated as a scenic river.
There are many good reasons given for establishing more designated wilderness in the United States. Wilderness designation preserves important ecological features and ecological processes. They can serve as fountainheads for our rivers and drinking supplies. Wilderness lands can provide us a place to recreation, relax, reflect, physically and mentally challenge ourselves. These are all valid reasons for preserving wilderness, and any of them alone would be sufficient reason to support wildlands preservation.
OPINION: In the wilds, a teacher became the student
November 18th, 2008Soda Mountain near Ashland is among Oregon's wild lands that need lasting protection.Through a coach's eyes, I watched the 140-pound freshman fly all over the football field at Silverton High. Matt Brockamp played with reckless abandon, humbling the opposition.
Now, 15 years later, I was the one being humbled.
OPINION: Michigan benefits if Congress passes public lands bill
November 14th, 2008Beaver Basin, a remote corner of Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, is a place of timeless serenity.
Bald eagles and river otters like the fishing at 765-acre Beaver Lake; loon calls echo over the water at twilight. Ten thousand acres of quiet woodlands nestle Beaver Lake and the nearby Lake Superior shoreline. The adjacent and aptly-named 12 Mile Beach is a credible nominee for the best beach walk in the state.
Our grandchildren will have the same opportunities for memorable visits to this place that we have -- if Congress acts decisively next week.
OPINION: More Oregon wilderness: A public lands legacy for lame duck Congress
November 14th, 2008The Oregon lands boast a rich diversity of plants and animals. Any wilderness bill is almost certain to get lost in the next Congress, overwhelmed by the pressing issues of the economy and war. When the lame duck Congress arrives back in Washington next week, it should quickly take up and pass a sweeping public lands bill that would forever protect nearly 2 million acres of land, including five special places in Oregon.
This Congress can't begin to fix all that's wrong with this country in a short lame duck session, but it can leave an important public land legacy.
EDITORIAL: Wilderness designations shouldn't wait
November 7th, 2008All eyes are now on Barack Obama's transition team and the new Congress that will convene next year. But between now and then, there is unfinished business to attend to.
EDITORIAL: Oregon needs wilderness
October 30th, 2008If Congress returns, as expected, to Washington, D.C., after the Nov. 4 election to work on a new economic stimulus bill, Oregon's delegation must find a way to secure passage of this state's first major wilderness expansion in nearly a quarter century.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has helped pave the way by agreeing to consider a public lands bill that could add nearly 2 million acres in eight states to the nation's 107 million-acre inventory of lands protected under the federal Wilderness Act.
Opinion: A Visitor’s Thoughts about Wyoming’s Legacy of Wilderness
November 3rd, 2009Pardon me for rhapsodizing about Wyoming and its wilderness.
For me, each trip to Wyoming begins with unfolding the map to savor memories of earlier visits and old Wyoming friends.
I visualize the Tetons, recalling pleasant bone-weariness earned on long hikes, forever connected with memories of my stays with the great conservationist Mardy Murie in her cabin on the bank of the Snake River.
EDITORIAL: Wilderness Within Reach
October 27th, 2008It looks increasingly likely that both the Senate and the House will return to Washington after the election to address the economy and, possibly, to pass a new stimulus bill. If they do, we urge them to find time for one other piece of business - a public lands bill that, at modest expense, could add nearly two million acres to the nation's store of permanently protected wilderness.
EDITORIAL: Slice of Wilderness
October 27th, 2008Allegheny National Forest in north west Pennsylvania is perhaps the most exploited public forest in the country. On its 533,000 acres are more than 10,000 active gas and oil wells (more than all other national forests combined), 2,700 miles of roads and thousands of acres that are harvested, "thinned" and selectively cut every year. It has numerous recreational facilities, including 224 miles of snowmobile trails.
The River Runs Wild; Forty years ago, a law signed by President Lyndon Johnson gave federal protection to a segment of Rio Grand
October 24th, 2008The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System turns 40 years old this month. A segment of the Rio Grande in New Mexico received federal protection as one of the "instant eight" wild rivers when the bill was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1968.
The wild stretch of the Rio Grande begins at the Colorado state line, extending downstream to the State Highway 96 crossing. An additional 12-mile segment of the Rio Grande downstream was later designated as a scenic river.
Wilderness—A Great Healing
October 24th, 2008There are many good reasons given for establishing more designated wilderness in the United States. Wilderness designation preserves important ecological features and ecological processes. They can serve as fountainheads for our rivers and drinking supplies. Wilderness lands can provide us a place to recreation, relax, reflect, physically and mentally challenge ourselves. These are all valid reasons for preserving wilderness, and any of them alone would be sufficient reason to support wildlands preservation.