Regarding H.R. 1975 : the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection ActA bipartisan bill led by Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Christopher ShaysNearly two decades ago a group of respected scientists consulted with economists and drafted the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (H.R. 1975). NREPA (pronounced Na-REE-pa) will
I walk the halls of Congress on behalf of the numerous grass-roots citizens across America who care about the Northern Rockies, who work tirelessly for NREPA’s passage while defending its land and wildlife against industrial interests and motorized incursions. I walk the halls of Congress on behalf of supporters around the country from farmers and ranchers who understand that NREPA keeps water at higher elevations for use when it’s most needed to President Jimmy Carter, who wrote, “It is our duty and obligation to protect and restore these national treasures.” I walk the halls of Congress on behalf of Americans who don't want their tax dollars subsidizing the destruction of the wild Northern Rockies; and I walk the halls of Congress on behalf of the land, the water, and the wildlife. Why should we support legislation protecting lands in the Northern Rockies?
I’ve lived in Idaho for 30 years. My children are grown, and I have four grandchildren. Wilderness and wildlife have informed my life and my songs for more than half a century. I live among bears, badgers, bunnies, beavers, otters, deer, elk, moose and wild horses. In winter I snowshoe and ski on trails with paw prints the size of a grapefruit. In the fall of 2007 I woke up to see a family of Canadian gray wolves 50 feet from my window: a male, a female and two pups. It was unnerving, magnificent, and a vivid reminder that it was I who moved into their neighborhood and not the other way around. There are psychological benefits to human beings of vast, wild places. They replenish the human spirit and give us sanctuary from an increasingly stressful world. Wilderness stops time. We need more, not fewer, places where we can stop time. With rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere playing a crucial role in climate change, NREPA is a science-based solution that even a third-grader can understand. Trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. Large connected ecosystems full of old growth forests like those in the Northern Rockies absorb and store carbon. Scientists call this a “carbon sink.” By protecting the Northern Rockies ecosystem, NREPA will mitigate the effects of global warming on species and benefit the entire world. Michelangelo said, “The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Imagine if Michelangelo had set his aim lower than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The land, water, and wildlife that NREPA will protect is America’s Sistine Chapel. It’s a miracle that we still have the ability to protect the Northern Rockies as close to the way God created anything as you can find in 2008. We should honor that miracle. NREPA is the largest area in the lower 48 where we still have enough land left to preserve that will support a diverse range of wildlife. A protected Northern Rockies ecosystem with its biological corridors will provide the room and maneuverability needed by species for migration, diversity, and survival. NREPA resonates with an increasing number of people who value wilderness and wildlife preservation. It’s a worthy, well-crafted solution whose time has come. Passage of NREPA will protect the Northern Rockies, slow global warming, save taxpayers money, and ensure a source of income for the local economy from tourists from around the world. That’s a legacy worthy of our great-grandchildren. Thank you for asking your U.S. Representatives and Senators to support the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (H.R. 1975). |