Wilderness designation needed for Gallatin Range, Yellowstone ecosystem
“We know that America cannot be made strong by leadership which reacts only to the needs or the irritations or the frustrations of the moment. True leadership must provide for the next decade and not merely the next day.” So said President Lyndon B. Johnson on the occasion of signing the Wilderness Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Bill, September 3rd, 1964.
That is true locally as well as nationally, and public lands located here are owned by the people of the nation.
I support Wilderness designation for remaining roadless public lands, locally in the Gallatin Range and throughout the Yellowstone ecosystem. All the outdoors does not need to be made available to mechanically equipped, noisy, fast-moving recreationists. There are thousands of miles of trails for that outside the roadless areas.
I support full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. As President Johnson said, “The land and water conservation bill assures our growing population that we will begin, as of this day, to acquire on a pay-as-you-go basis the outdoor recreation lands that tomorrow’s Americans will require.”
I will vote for only those candidates who lead us into the future of clean air, clean water, healthy habitat for wildlife, as well as people.
Please support passage of full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and support efforts to maintain – through formal designation – roadless areas as Wilderness.
– Anne Millbrooke, Bozeman •
