Well, PC, Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY) certainly has been in the news a lot lately. As Traveler has reported, Rep. Cubin has vigorously supported the controversial (and very expensive) plan to keep Yellowstone’s Sylvan Pass open for snowmobilers. I don’t find any mention of Devils Tower National Monument on Rep. Cubin’s official website. Perhaps you could provide additional details.

I'm humbled to discover that someone aside from the gun liberals reads anything I post Lepanto. And true enough, I failed to be specific and painted everyone with the same broad brush, which is a sure recipe for disaster, or inaccuracy at the very least. But I take umbrage with one part of your explanation, that being "More than 3 out of 4 of all proposals to establish new parks are either thrown out or radically restructured to better match the need and character of the resource, and the viability of the preservation, management and interpretation strategy. While I don't dispute the numbers, per se, the thought that the restructuring is in the best interests of the character of the resource or the viability and management of the preservation is a notion that you'll have a difficult time substantiating within the confines of the operation of the our federal government and it's affiliated land management tentacles, including but not limited to the NPS, BLM, EPA and more other acronyms than I care to list. The federal strategy, if in all actuality one does exists, appears to be less structure, diligence and character-based and more slanted toward the "pressure of the moment" as applied by various groups and private persons at this moment to remain nameless. Realistically, what portion of the continent would be excluded from the idealistic notion of "preservation and character"? Some would ascertain that preservation would justly be all-inclusive of our westward expansionism, with it's humble beginnings being the Jamestown settlement, through our "colonization" of the Arctic refuge, Hawaiian Islands, Guam, the Atolls, etc. All are very unique environments that could readily qualify under the "preservation and character" clause, and an argument could also be made that from an interpretive standpoint, they need to be in the all-inclusive club as primary examples of nationalism, indomitable spirit, heritage, or whatever other hot-button words you care to attach to the cause. My point, though poorly stated, was more centered around WHO is behind the classification of the environment, and that is generally a governmental boondoggle. Little actual science of any discipline involved generally, just opinions laden with pressure from sources with no interest in a "national" view, but mainly centered in local issues less than pertinent to "preservation and interpretation" as a whole.

Just consider this for a moment. Interpretive trails, common to local recreation and park areas. Expand that to a national view. Imagine the geographies that would be required to formulate a TRUE interpretive trail that did justice to the Lewis and Clark or many other expansion-related expeditions. What about an all-encompassing historically accurate interpretation of the injustices attributable to our government resulting in the Trail of Tears and the multitude of other Native relocations? I'm fully aware that such things currently exist, in miniature. A plaque here, some signage there, a bronze marker tucked away in a field........spare me, please. If these were to be truly preservation-related issues, vast tracts of land would have to be designated as "historically significant" and preserved in a manner more akin to the way the Civil War Battlefields have been, until recently considered hallowed ground. But I don't see anyone pursuing these arguably more "significant" projects, more significant that is than wasting time renaming the current parks, monuments, mountains, shorelines, etc., with any sense of urgency.

This misplaced sense of self-worth is just one of many shining examples of why I view our current political figureheads with such a high degree of contempt. As they do me.

I came across a discussion in your web-page that quotes me commenting on legislation proposed by Sen. Jackson. Although it has been many years since those discussions the dialogue you share is still timely and most important. I have found that most public and private leaders care about special places be they large or small. When we use federal or state designations, such as those which create parks, refuges, heritage corridors, etc. we typically complicate the local discussions about how best to protect, conserve, manage, and enjoy these places. Most designations tend to be goal specific. Many landscapes in the US tend to have multiple values and functions and as a result require a multiobjective approach. Sometimes these designations are pursued to bring dollars and technical assistance into local efforts. Unfortunately when state or federal governments are brought into local matters the public's focus quickly shifts from the landscape they value to their concerns about outside government. This situation is frequently complicated when the federal or state agency staff does not have the skill and expereince to work in partnership with other levels of government and the private sector.

I've always liked heritage areas as an approach because they require strategies and plans that require a partnership with local governments and interests. They also look at a full range of environmental, social and economic values. When I was involved advancing the national heritage areas movement in the US we were under the impression that these areas would never be designated before a plan was developed and agreed to by all the partners. My experience with this approach in PA, SC, RI, MA, DE, MD, VA, WV, and NY proved that consensus-based agreement was necessary prior to any goverment action.

What I found was that the best role for the feds was to respond to local initiatives and help people help themselves to protect, manage, conserve, and enjoy these areas. In a variety of instances we worked with our local partners to develop a heritage strategy or plan without federal designation. We combined the heritage area concept with the idea of sustainable development and began to look at ways that communities and regions could describe who they were, are and will be. A variety of federal agencies including EPA, HUD, EDA, FS, FWS, SCS, and others, worked in a collaborative way with local leaders.

Another assumption we worked under in the early days of the heritage areas movement was that federal involvement in locally supported heritage areas was intended to be for a period of six-years. During this time the feds would provide technical and financial assistance with the expectation that the intial effort would help to make these areas self-sustaining.

When I learned of proposals for federal programs that appeared to provide top-down assistance and guidance I typically reacted by suggesting alternatives. Then and now I believe that the best new federal policy is best shaped by those successful ides and actions that are being supported and implemented by local leaders already. Only through the combined efforts of all levels of goverment and the private sector can we protect the special places that Americans care about.

All my best,

Glenn