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Op-Ed Columns

Essay | Plan, Think, And Don’t Be Stupid In A National Park

Photographer Rebecca Latson recently completed a 3-week road trip and move from southeast Texas up to central Washington State. During that time, she visited five national parks. In those parks, she saw some pretty stupid stuff such as litter, people driving faster than the posted speed limit, and poor choices in hiking footwear, to name a few things. Rebecca wrote an article of her observations, which are a good reminder for us all to do some planning and be a little more thoughtful of how we treat our national parks as guests.

Op-Ed | We Can’t Afford To Forget Importance Of National Parks And Monuments

There are simple ways to fight incoming threats to the land. For example, utilize the parks and monuments to prove their value, treat them with care to extend their life, and refuse to support parties that ignore issues such as environmental degradation. It is critical that we our protect national parks and monuments against threats of political interference, big-oil targeting, and global climate change so that we can continue to enjoy them and the services they provide.

Op-Ed | President Trump, Please Read ‘Desert Solitaire’

In a 1973 TV spot, the United States Forest Service sage Smokey Bear admonished that “one careless second with a match and America the beautiful becomes America the ugly.” So what would Smokey say now when a few careless seconds with a pen allowed President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to remove protections from two million acres of precious American wilderness? If courts uphold Trump’s executive orders of last December, they would reduce southern Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments by 85 and 46 percent, respectively, constituting the biggest rollback of federally protected land in American history.

Op-Ed | Volunteers In The National Parks

More and more people are visiting our national parks, and some parks are not just busy but getting overwhelmed and overcrowded. Meanwhile, the prospect of more money being budgeted for more staff is unlikely. Consequently, many parks should begin considering using volunteers, and those that do….should consider using more volunteers and using volunteers in more meaningful ways.

Op-Ed | The Shared Experience of National Public Lands Day

For more than a decade, I have had the privilege to witness and participate in the wonderfully communal experience of National Public Lands Day (NPLD). On this exhilarating day, Americans from all walks of life, families, and neighbors, work side-by-side to give back to the parks and open spaces that give them so much. Now in its 24th year, National Public Lands Day consistently shows that the spirit of good will is alive and well.

Op-Ed | After Interior Secretary Zinke’s First 100 Days, The Future Looks Grim For National Parks

Interior Secretary Zinke has described himself as a “Theodore Roosevelt” Republican and pledged to make park issues a focus of his tenure, including tackling the National Park Service’s more than $11.3 billion maintenance backlog and keeping park rangers on the job. But is he living up to these promises?

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