Stewardship

Redwoods at Muir Woods, California, June 19, 2017.

Last Sunday I visited the redwoods at Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco. Heaven on earth.

The coast redwood is the tallest species on earth. “Coast redwoods range from southern Oregon to central California, extending not more than fifty miles inland- only as far as the coastal climate has its influence. Fog plays a vital role in the survival of these trees, protecting them from the summer drought conditions typical of this area. They also need abundant winter rain and moderate year round temperatures. In ideal conditions a coast redwood can grow 2-3 feet in height annually, but when the trees are stressed from lack of moisture and sunlight they may grow as little as one inch per year.”

“When you enter a grove peopled with ancient trees, higher than the ordinary, and shutting out the sky with their thickly inter-twined branches, do not the stately shadows of the wood, the stillness of the place, and the awful gloom of this doomed cavern then strike you with the presence of a deity?”
― Seneca

“Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “announced plans to increase “public–private partnerships”—code for privatizing the management of our national park system. The idea is both unpopular (huge majorities of Americans in virtually every demographic oppose privatization) and unwise (our national parks are a public good and therefore should be publicly managed).” – Natural Resources Defense Council

This is what’s commonly referred to as “socialize the costs, privatize the profits.” If you have an opinion on the wisdom of allowing the business to manage our national parks, here’s where to contact decision-makers.

Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010