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A Push for America’s Public Lands

As of April 2018, presidential plans have been set to intrude on America’s last unclaimed frontier, the great state of Alaska. Not in a way that housing developments are going to be constructed, but in a way that will result in completely toxic and unusable land after oil companies are done with it. The Trump Administration is going to be drilling for oil and gas in a 1.5-million-acre arctic refuge (Collins). Many Americans may think that continuing in actions like this will only benefit the economy. Although it may for a period time, when all the resources in that region are used up, another area will be moved onto and the cycle will begin again. What happens if we keep making protected public lands into unprotected lands and destroying the ecosystems that they withhold? There is a clear division between Americans right now and the protection of the natural world is as controversial as it could ever be. Keeping lands protected is important for the assurance that future generations will survive relatively comfortably due to us not overusing our share of natural resources, and that they will know how to manage and conserve their lands following our correct steps. Federal and state lands bring hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, boosting the nation’s economy along with supporting local businesses all over the United States. Without public lands, many health and educational benefits would be missed out on.

America is one of the largest consuming countries. It has been said many times that the damage being done to the earth is, at least, partially irreversible. Minerals, fossil fuels, agriculture, and forestry are just some of the many demands not being met by supply due to overconsumption and population rise. One of the Sierra Club’s writers, Dave Tilford, mentions “A child born in the United States will create thirteen times as much ecological damage over the course of his or her lifetime than a child born in Brazil,” (scientificamerican.com). The wealth gap keeps growing. World Resources Forum reports, “Global resource extraction grew more or less steadily over the past 25 years, from 40 billion tons in 1980 to 58 billion tons in 2005, representing an aggregated growth rate of 45%,” (Lutter and Giljum). With today’s technology, clean energy should be possible but not enough people are seeing that it is going to be a necessity. President Trump is so opposed to the protection of our resources that it is bringing attention to the fact that they actually do need protected and not exploited. In 2017, our president withdrew from the Paris Agreement, but thousands of businesses and even states in the US declared that they considered themselves in the agreement to continue in trying to act as “green” as possible (Stone). There is a glimmer of hope but not nearly enough time if we keep taking one step forward and two steps back.

The National Park Service has records that our lands started to be recognized as protected in the late 1800s, but our resources were managed even earlier. In 1817, the US Navy had special forested areas specifically for ship lumber. Ralph Waldo Emerson published his essay Nature, sparking thoughts of the beauty and origin of nature in 1836. Many new technologies became available in the mid-1800s which let people spread ideas and opinions through publishing writings and traveling to paint or even photograph beautiful landscapes. The Adirondacks were agreed to be preserved in 1864 by the state of New York. It was only in 1869 that John Wesley Powell was the first man to lead a Colorado River expedition. The American Forestry Association was founded in 1875, protecting trees on government owned property. The first few national parks were established in California in 1890. Two years after that, the well-known preservationist, John Muir, founded the Sierra Club which is still around today and known for fighting for the protection of our lands. In 1894 an act was passed by Congress which prohibited hunting in Yellowstone National Park. 1901 was an important year because a big-time conservationist, Theodore Roosevelt, became president. Throughout his presidency, over fifty wildlife sanctuaries were created, and many national parks, forests, and museums were established. In 1903 Roosevelt gave a speech, at the laying of the cornerstone where the entrance for Yellowstone would be, on how important it was for the public to cooperate in keeping it a protected land. He spoke of how magnificent it was that such a “natural playground” was available for public to experience a wilderness while not disturbing it. (nps.gov). He believed in preservation to an extent, but he is known for his confidence in conservation and using land wisely, so we do not damage the environment’s limited resources that we need to survive.

The rest of the 1900s consisted of some pauses for conservation and protection due to wars and troubling times in the U.S., but for some reason it resumed after all was done. Industry was growing, and new resources were being used to every American’s benefit. People were seeing that we need to be smart with what we have while we have it. Somehow along the way that mindset was lost. Here in 2018 it is all about immediate, short term, monetary gain, disregarding these ideas and thoughts that have been put into action and working out for so long. Today, even the first peoples to inhabit this continent, Native Americans, have been shoved into little boxes to live on their “preserved land” in poverty and anguish with not only high drug and alcohol rates, but record-breaking suicide rates. Generations to come are not going to be able to be supported by the earth like we have been, because we are protecting nothing for them and leaving them even less than that while destroying areas that won’t recover for hundreds of years to come.

When it comes to a person’s health or mental stability, viewing nature and getting outside are a known remedy because it is where we can all be traced back to, whether a business man, a doctor, or a mechanic. Adults and children benefit from the natural sunlight, certain chemicals that boost your immune system, vision enhancement, and getting away from “societal pressures” (mentalfloss.com). Children exposed to the outdoors are more likely to develop great social and life skills along with more comprehensive decision making (McCarthy). Exercise is crucial today due to the rising percent of childhood obesity. The rates have increased from 13.9% in 2000 to 18.5 in 2016 (stateofobesity.org). As children are exposed to the outdoors at an early age, they have the opportunity to not only exercise and get fresh air, but possibly become more aware of the world around them which could lead to healthier eating and a more sustainable lifestyle.

Endorphins are released, blood pressure improves, and a brain can even start to work differently after its host spends more time outside (Loria). Anxiety and depression are often effects from today’s man-made world from jobs, school, and social media. America is the most anxious country in the world (Ducharme). Taking away public land access would not help that statistic.

It is no surprise that the Department of Interior’s 2017 Fiscal Year Report showed mass growth in jobs and economies around the US for the first time in a while, because the lands have started to be mined and uprooted to have natural resources rapidly extracted from them (doi.gov). These are limited resources being dealt with, meaning there is in fact an end to them. U.S. public lands are one of the hottest attractions for tourists from around the world. With numbers of over 100 million visits a year, as of 2015 in just the western lands, local economies flourish and thousands of jobs are provided (Livesay 11-13). Many services in the Department of Agriculture (DOA) or the Department of the Interior (DOI) employ Americans, like the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the US Forest Service. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor industry (including parks, lands, management, etc) supplies $887 billion just in consumer spending along with supporting 7.6 million jobs in the US. Colorado alone receives over 40 million tourist visits each year, supplying over 220 thousand jobs, and reigning in $28 billion in its outdoor industry. The federal budget set towards conservation has been in a continual decline and the Trump Administration is planning on cutting it down by over $2 billion (a 16% drop). This money is what is put towards maintaining trails, roads, and access to the beautiful wonders of the great country of America (Livesay 9-12).

Most species on earth have been disturbed in one way or another whether extinct, relocated, or endangered because of human activity. Development and misuse of natural resource have caused to destruction of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. In taking away the resources we want, innocent organisms are paying the price by dying off due to habitat loss.

Bear Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments have been opened up to development and exploitation of natural resources within the past year of 2018. Oil drilling has taken over this country and in no way should it be above this nation’s history and heritages from the past couple thousand of years. The Arctic Refuge is being leased for drilling by the order of the White House. The Grand Canyon is being looked at to be a possible uranium mining site, which would be catastrophic to the whole ecosystem as uranium is radioactive and the mining process is very destructive. Pipelines are being proposed to run through even more protected lands than they have already been set it. The highly protested Keystone pipeline has already leaked 210 thousand gallons of crude oil in what used to be protected land in South Dakota (Greenberg).

The only main negative to keeping lands protected is that no development will be allowed in those areas but that is only a short-term negative. Protecting them will keep resources available for generations to come and keep the country’s many species and landscapes available to study. If we figure out how to effectively manage our lands without damaging them as we are, it will only cause the trend to continue in the future. Without public lands for recreation, de-stressing, and adventuring, we would be just a destructive, money-hungry country, but for what? If there is no real way to enjoy this magnificent earth, what is the point? Let’s keep this country’s natural diary alive and find a balance between our needs and wants to agree with what can be reasonably provided for us.

Works Cited:

“11 Scientific Benefits of Being Outdoors.” Mental Floss, Mental Floss, 2 Nov. 2015, mentalfloss.com/article/70548/11-scientific-benefits-being-outdoors.

“Childhood Obesity Trends.” The State of Obesity, stateofobesity.org/childhood-obesity-trends/.

Collins, Michael. “Interior Department Takes Step toward Drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 19 Apr. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/19/trump-administration-takes-initial-step-steps-toward-oil-and-gas-drilling-alaskas-arctic-national-wi/533176002/.

“Conservation Timeline 1801-1900.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/historyculture/conservation-timeline-1801-1900.htm.

“Conservation Timeline 1901-2000.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/historyculture/conservation-timeline-1901-2000.htm.

Ducharme, Jamie. “Almost 40% of Americans Are Becoming More Anxious.” Time, Time, 8 May 2018, time.com/5269371/americans-anxiety-poll/.

EarthTalk. “Use It and Lose It: The Outsize Effect of U.S. Consumption on the Environment.” Scientific American, www.scientificamerican.com/article/american-consumption-habits/.

“Economic Impact of Public Lands Increases by $400 Million in First Year Under President Trump.” U.S. Department of the Interior, Interior Press, 14 Nov. 2018, www.doi.gov/pressreleases/economic-impact-public-lands-increases-400-million-first-year-under-president-trump.

Green, Chelsea. “Ten Facts About the Water We Waste.” Chelsea Green Publishing, Chelsea Green Publishing, 20 Mar. 2018, www.chelseagreen.com/2008/ten-facts-about-the-water-we-waste/.

Greenberg, Max. “One Year Ago, Trump Launched His Attack on Our Public Lands. This Is What's Happened since Then.” Wilderness.org, www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/one-year-ago-trump-launched-his-attack-our-public-lands-whats-happened-then.

Livesay, Lucy. “290 Million Reasons to Invest in America's Public Lands.” Western Priorities, Center for Western Priorities, Mar. 2018, westernpriorities.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/290-Million-Visits-Report.pdf.

Loria, Kevin. “Being Outside Can Improve Memory, Fight Depression, and Lower Blood Pressure - Here Are 12 Science-Backed Reasons to Spend More Time Outdoors.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 22 Apr. 2018, www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7?r=UK&IR=T.

Lutter, Stephen, and Stefan Giljum. “Facts and Figures.” World Resources Forum, www.wrforum.org/publications-2/publications/.

McCarthy, Claire. “6 Reasons Children Need to Play Outside.” Harvard Health Blog, Harvard Health Publishing, 21 May 2018, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880.

Stone, Laurie. “Top Ten Clean Energy Developments of 2017.” Rocky Mountain Institute, 30 May 2018, rmi.org/top-ten-clean-energy-developments-2017/.

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bfaltraco-blog · 7 years ago

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Persuasive letter

Dear President Trump,

My name is Brianna Faltraco and I am a student at Sussex County Community College in New Jersey. Chances are you’re not really reading this yourself, but to whoever I may be writing to, please hear me out for the reasons that many Americans are against the way that we are using natural resources and causing destruction to not only the environment, but ourselves. The United States of America started taking natural resource conservation seriously a long time ago and there is a long list of many great men and women have stood for the safekeeping of our beautiful lands.

If you think all the way back to 1817, the U.S. Navy had specific forest reserves to protect trees for wood needed to build ships. Many new technologies became available in the mid-1800s which let people spread ideas and opinions through publishing writings and traveling to paint or even photograph beautiful landscapes. The American Forestry Foundation was founded in 1875. Less than two decades after, John Muir founded the Sierra Club, promoting preservation of the wilderness.

The 26th president of the United States, a fellow Republican to you, Teddy Roosevelt, established many wildlife refuges and national parks for conservation. In 1903 Roosevelt gave a speech, at the laying of the cornerstone where the entrance for Yellowstone would be, on how important it was for the public to cooperate in keeping it a protected land. He spoke of how magnificent it was that such a “natural playground” was available for public to experience a wilderness while not disturbing it. He believed in preservation to an extent, but he is known for his confidence in conservation and using land wisely, so we do not damage the environment’s limited resources that we need to survive. Throughout the 1900s, more writings were published, more parks and lands were established, and more people were informed. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and many wars occurred, but these intentions of keeping the environment at a high priority still made it through. Today, even the first peoples to inhabit this continent, Native Americans, have been shoved into little boxes to live on their “preserved land” in poverty and anguish with not only high drug and alcohol rates, but record breaking suicide rates.

I want to be able to take my children and grandchildren on trips to national parks that remain as wild as they’ll ever be. I want to go to Glacier National Park, whenever I get to it, and not have to rush, in the fear that there will soon not be glaciers left. What I do not understand, is that there is support behind scrapping Bear Ears Monument that has been established for not even three years. The fact that you personally are willing to go through with such things even with a mass amount of pushback is staggering. I know it is hard to find a happy medium, especially in the politics of such a divided country, and I couldn’t imagine how rigorous of a job you have trying to do what is best for America, but not every little thing is about money or business. The Keystone Pipeline, Bear Ears, Grand Staircase Escalante, and so many more lands are the core of this country.

Our history lies in this land and I do not believe that today’s government should be able to hinder that. Nature is where so many find refuge, and opening up lands to energy development, mining, and hibernation hunting, isn’t a way to keep that tradition. We can still keep moving forward to “Make America Great Again” while keeping this grand country’s natural diary alive. We cannot forget our roots as a nation because if we do, there’s nothing to trace ourselves back to.

Thank you for your time,

Brianna Faltraco

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bfaltraco-blog · 7 years ago

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bfaltraco-blog · 7 years ago

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Rugged Balance

The idea of the great outdoors and harsh weather conditions might bring a more masculine figure to one’s mind. Many commercials in general try to have the swing one way or another to get you to want to be more masculine as a man or feminine as a woman. The North Face along with most hiking brands tries to appeal to any and all people of all ages.

Appealing to common emotion is one way to see past gender or race with something like adventuring and being outside. There is no narrator or printed words throughout the commercial because of the song that played, “This Land is Your Land”, originally by Woodie Guthrie. It is a classic that we all learned as children to be able to sing about America. The song itself along with the visuals of the commercial brings up opinions about today’s fight for protection of the environment and public lands. The land is ours so why not enjoy it to the fullest? Even with President Trump and strong opinions surrounding his every decision, you can’t help but find it a natural kind of beautiful. It also clearly shows both men and women of different races finding themselves lost in the wonder of nature.

The smiles are genuine and seemingly equal in meaning as they are separated from the expectations of society and man-made thoughts. As Amy Cunningham says in Why Women Smile, “A smile lightens the load, diffuses unpleasantness, redistributes nervous tension” (4). This contributes to women and how they act in all situations because society makes it seem that appearance is everything and being happy constantly is better than being real. Being human. Somehow smiling in all situations makes you more feminine, probably referring back to women had no rights and they were but trophies for their husbands. With no rights or opinion power, it didn’t matter how they really felt.

The expectations and stereotypes of women are changing and being addressed these days. Females are being encouraged to stand up for themselves and be strong and motivated. This North Face commercial shows a unity found only in the purest way, by enjoying natural resources. There is a beautiful time being had doing adrenaline-pumping things like high speed downhill skiing, free climbing, camping in a tent hanging off the side of a mountain, and tight-rope walking over raging waterfalls. This is all being done by men AND women with no separation. The visuals all together aren’t necessarily being shown to prove equality, but to prove everything but inequality to show how many put North Face products to badass use. Who doesn’t want to be a skilled athlete in such breathtaking scenes as the touching video presents?

Works Cited

Cunningham, Amy, “Why Women Smile.” The Norton Reader, Shorter Eleventh Edition. Ed. Linda H. Peterson and John C. Brereton. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004. 160-165.

Face, The North, director. The North Face: Your Land. YouTube, YouTube, 26 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=111&v=tll-4WONtg0.

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bfaltraco-blog · 7 years ago

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Back To Me

I knew it needed to happen. Closing that car door and walking away not sure if I wanted to sob or smile was the most oddly freeing feeling. I came inside to my father wondering where I had been for the past half an hour. I went straight to my room, ignoring him, and sat on my bed alone that night. Alone for the first time in so long. We had started dating in October of 2015, my sophomore year. I was fifteen and loved softball, he was sixteen and loved baseball, it seemed perfect. I was a happy person and so was he, so why not be happy together? Thought doesn’t really go into anything when you’re young. I thought he looked cute when he grew his hair out, so he stopped shaving it. We watched cheesy Netflix movies. I would drive hours to go to his games. His mom didn’t love me, but I helped her prepare dinner whenever I was over. Whenever we would get together with friends, he was attached to my hip. He liked my eyes. I was just starting to discover myself as a person with opinions. My interest in nature was growing, along with my yearning to travel. He just loved baseball and his dream was to go professional. We met at church and continued to be “the couple” of the youth group. We were just what everyone wanted to be like. I would go to his baseball games all the time and show constant support no matter what. He never got to see me play softball, but it was because his schedule was so jam packed with practice and training, so I understood. Junior year I took AP Environmental, the class that helped form who I am now. I dug deeper into environmental politics and the importance of enjoying the great outdoors. I went on field trips to museums, aquariums, and state parks. It was my passion and something I enjoyed sharing with others. He thought the field trips were cool, but he didn’t care much to discuss topics like climate change, or go hiking, or go to see a sunset. We were so happy though, so it didn’t matter; we would just move on to something that he was educated enough to talk about. I didn’t hang out with anyone else really or talk to other boys. I would always ask to go to the park or to a lake if the weather was nice, but most of the time we would end up watching more movies or playing video games that I sucked at. I would make big efforts for small things. He could never remember that blueberry pancakes were my favorite. He always called me pretty. I was soon to be part of the graduated class of 2018 when I started to notice some things. I saw other couples doing things all the time, enjoying each other’s company, going out to dinner, but most importantly, growing together. It started to feel like I was paddling in a canoe and my partner was just causing me to spin in circles and go nowhere. I tried confronting him, seeing if he had any ideas for college other than just playing ball. Nope. I had some ideas and interests to go off of for my own future, but nothing for him. “What about getting a job? You are eighteen years old now and should have started saving already,” I would suggest. “Eh, I don’t know. My baseball schedule is way too busy. Between practices, hitting coaches, and games, I don’t think I can do it,” he would answer. It’s not as if I didn’t support his decision to be confident in baseball, I just wanted a “plan B” because everyone realistically needs one. I was maturing, and he was not. It was something I just had to face and deal with. I felt trapped from being together for a bit over two years, but that’s just another reason to question the relationship. That February I called it quits in his car, in my driveway. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, crying. “This has been a weight I’ve been carrying way too long. It will turn out positive for both of us, trust me,” I answered. It was for the best because it was extremely unhealthy to feel that I needed to be in a relationship with a fear that he would be nothing without me while I could be so much more without him. I didn’t need him at all actually. I thought I was in too deep to stop everything, but it was the perfect solution. Two months passed until I came to terms with my decision, but I knew that patience was key, and I did the right thing. He already was dating another girl. I was alone, but I wasn’t with someone who couldn’t keep me happy. It was spring by the time I was finally feeling alright by myself, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I started my second year as a seasonal at High Point State Park, went on a service trip to the Dominican Republic, graduated, planned for college, watched the sunset at least three times a week, treated myself to good coffee often, went on a mission trip to South Dakota, went on hikes, and camped out a lot. I grew more and made more memories than I ever have in my entire life. I spent so much quality time with myself, not needing anyone to call me beautiful. I found my identity and my worth by myself and in the breathtaking world around me. It took me years to start on the right track of doing what’s best for me. I worried too much about what others might think or how he would be affected, but I was not about to give my all to a boy who was only willing to give so much. It really is lovely to know I will get one hundred percent effort back from myself. Good things come, but they take time. You have to love yourself before anyone else and understand what hurts you, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what you value the most. I was self-taught the importance of freedom. I am not waiting for anyone or seeking “true love” now. People today post pictures of their “perfect” relationships, but the truth is there are rough times no matter what and I know now is not the time for me to take on any possibilities of negative energy. I love the fact that I am a working college student providing for myself, working hard, and staying motivated. Things happen because they need to, and I couldn’t be more excited for my future. I’ve learned that even when I feel down, I just need to put on some music, go for a ride, and trust myself that I will figure it out no matter how long it takes, because I know how to make myself happy and what is best for me.

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