One might justly conjecture we have been cursed by Utah’s magnificent wild landscapes, which have caused such division and consternation among our political leadership and their constituents. Some see vast sweeps of our national public lands as having little to offer for recreation or scenery, waste lands of little value beyond mineral extraction, or selling them to the highest bidder.
These lands have been a hot issue in Utah for most of our state’s history. Absentee landowners continue to be viewed with a jaundiced eye. State and local control is championed, which is often in opposition to the majority of Utah citizens.
Preeminent naturalist John Muir stated, “The bottom third of Utah should become a National Park!” He was overtaken by its rugged, unadulterated majesty. Many other prominent authors and naturalists have spoken in its behalf- Terry Tempest Williams, Ed Abbey, Wallace Stegner, Steve Trimble, to name a few.
More recently, our Native people have jumped into the fray- Navajo, Paiute, Ute, Shoshone, and many other tribes. Following years of relentless negotiations, they finally have been offered a seat at the table on how these lands should be managed.
“Our ancestors knew that this land is not just our home, but a place that sustains us, nurtures us, and connects us to something far greater than ourselves, If we do not stand together, our children will never know the beauty these lands hold.” Louise Fernandez
I too have real affection for our national public lands. The first part of my existence was in Michigan farm country surrounded by “Keep Out” signs. There was little opportunity to escape to open space. Thus, I view these public lands in a very different lens from many of the “locals”, who perceive them as restricting their rights to use these lands as they see fit. Two very different cultures and lived experiences.
As a naturalist educator, I have led my students and others into many of these wild spaces. The experience is often transformative. Never before have many of them experienced such beauty and untrammeled landscapes. One of my international students was nearly brought to tears, reminiscent of his cattle herding days in the rural landscapes of Egypt.
Beyond serving as recreational and inspirational retreats, these incomprehensible, uncompromised wide-open spaces serve as bulwarks for clean air, healthy watersheds, and as a sanctuary for an abundance of species beyond our own, some threatened or endangered from creeping human contrivances.
As I write this, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Utah’s attempt to gain state control over 18.5 million acres of federal BLM lands, representing about 1/3 of our state’s area. The fight will continue, just as the seasons will continue in these priceless, sacred lands.
This is Jack Greene for Bridgerland Audubon Society and I’m wild about Utah’s Wild Lands
Credits:
Image: Courtesy Pixabay, Sharon Kehl Califano, Contributor https://pixabay.com/photos/canyonlands-canyons-desert-6600504/
Featured Audio: Courtesy & © Kevin Colver https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections/kevin-colver, Courtesy & © Anderson, Howe and Wakeman,
Also includes audio Courtesy & © J. Chase & K.W. Baldwin
Text: Jack Greene, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading: Jack Greene & Lyle W Bingham, Webmaster, Bridgerland Audubon, https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/
Additional Reading:
Jack Greene’s Postings on Wild About Utah, https://wildaboututah.org/author/jack/
