A Tribute to Public Lands

I am writing to you about the proposal to sell various public lands. I strongly urge you to oppose selling public lands. I am sure others wrote to you about the tourist economy these lands foster, and the millions of dollars public lands bring to local economies by simply having areas dedicated to outdoor recreation, hunting, ATV riding, and fishing available. While I agree with this reasoning and support it, I write to you for different reasons.

Public lands are the last place that truly embody the American spirit. They are a place where someone can explore, adventure, and take risks uninhibited. They are a place for solitude, peace, and a chance to reconnect with oneself. Finally, they are a place where everyone, regardless of economic background, can enjoy themselves.

I want to emphasize a few points. This country needs a place where we can explore and take risks. The United States was founded on this idea. Crossing an ocean and settling a new land is by far one of the biggest risks a person can take. We cannot appreciate or understand such a risk in this modern age. However, the desire to explore, venture, and take risks is still in all of us. In today’s age, trapped behind screens, living in the comforts of our air-conditioned homes, and where our next meal can be made for us in minutes, it is something we rarely get to satisfy. Yet, for some of us, the desire to take risks, to explore, and to live life without the restraint and protection of modern society screams to be let out. Public lands are the last place where we can satisfy this risk-taking adventurous spirit. Unencumbered by the crowds of national parks, public lands give us a chance to explore our natural American landscape. They give us a place to take risks and live in a place that is still wild. A place where we can roam. A place where we may encounter dangerous situations. A place where we cannot be tamed. In today’s modern society we need public lands more than ever.

Finally, public lands are a place for all of us to enjoy, no matter where you come from or how much money you have. Most of us will never have enough money to own this kind of beautiful land. That is okay. Public lands are a place we all own and can enjoy. You don’t need millions of dollars to access them. Instead, they are free and open to the public.  However, selling them takes that away. Selling public lands denies every current and future American the opportunity to appreciate this country’s beauty. It denies everyone the last place to take risks and to live unrestrained. Selling public lands will kill the American spirit. It will do what everyone thought was impossible, it will tame our country.

I encourage everyone to explore the public lands and experience them first hand. To see a sunrise from a mountain peak. Drink coffee from a hot spring. To see the stars shine brighter than you’ve ever seen. To taste the purest mountain water imaginable. To come face to face with a bear and stand it down. To hear the tranquil sounds of a country creek.

Below are just a few of the many photos I took of public lands.