U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (left) and nature preservationist John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, on Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. In the background: Upper and lower Yosemite Falls. Courtesy Wikipedia under Creative Commons License
Our forefathers set aside huge parcels of land for our recreation and wildlife that we still enjoy today.
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Olympic and Mt. Rainier National Parks in Washington, Crater Lake in Oregon, Death Valley and Yosemite in California, Grand Canyon in Arizona are all in the western part of the United States.
A more recent conservation area, now 30 years old, comprises 482,000-plus acres set aside for raptor nesting and hunting grounds, thanks to one man’s inspiration. His name was Morley Nelson. The area is called The Snake River “Birds of Prey” National Conservation Area, and it is 30 miles from Boise, Idaho.
Land conservation is a popular topic on all the major Hawaiian Islands. Through the efforts of their two U.S. Senators, the U.S. Army, the State of Hawaii, The Trust for Public Land, native Hawaiians, and many other private donors, thousands of acres of land are being purchased in the name of conservation.
Land Conservation Even in Hawaii
All of these projects will save what is left of ancient petroglyphs, burial sites, the few native plants left on the Islands, and endangered species habitat. The Haleakala National Park, on Maui, increased in size with the purchase of the Nu’u Ranch of 4,100 acres.
The park now extends from the volcanic crater, across lava fields and native grassland, down to the ocean coastline. This underdeveloped land features ancient Hawaiian cultural sites and a habitat for rare birds.
A quote from the Garden Island newspaper on January 17, 2008, said, “This is possibly the best deal since the Louisiana Purchase.”
The March, 2008, issue of Sunset Magazine’s Northwest edition contains an article about the “7 (Hidden) Wonders of the West.” It features the following 7 newly preserved natural treasures across the West:
- American Prairie Reserve, Montana: The American Prairie Foundation has begun to buy Montana ranchlands with a goal to create a 5,000-square-mile preserve where buffalo, pronghorn antelope and elk abound, and hundreds of bird species fly overhead. It will be 1 million acres bigger than Yellowstone.
- Wild Wolves Preserve, Kern County, California: This 97,000-acre preserve runs from the San Joaquin Valley into the Transverse Mountains offering refuge for animals. It shows what the world was like before agri-business and SUVs.
- Moanalua Valley, Hawaii: This new 3,716-acre preserve, purchased by the Trust for Public Land and now owned by the state, is just minutes from Honolulu.
- Lynch Canyon Open Space, Solano County, California: Thanks to the Solano Land Trust, this 1,000-acre preserve escaped a fate as a landfill. It is now open to the public with green rolling hills spackled with California poppies & Johnny-jump-ups, golden eagles and other raptors, and panoramic views of Mt. Tamalpasis and the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Las Vegas Springs Preserve, Nevada: Las Vegas was founded because of the burbling waters at these springs. There are 8 acres of desert gardens, high-tech exhibits devoted to Las Vegas culture and history, and a Desert Living Center.
- Sperling Preserve, Goleta, California: It took Goleta residents, aided by the Trust for Public Land and other local groups, three decades and $20 million to acquire this bluff above Santa Barbara. Monarch butterflies migrate here in November.
- Orcas Island’s Turtleback Mountain, Puget Sound, Washington: This 1,578-acre Prserve, which opened to the public last year, is not only protected from development but it is considered an unprecedented conservation success. When this mountain was offered for sale to the highest bidder, local conservation organizations sprang into action. They wanted to stop this land from being sold and developed. It took six months of no sleep, but they met a developer’s bid of $18.5 million.
Other noteworthy conservation efforts that were mentioned in Sunset Magazine include: Fossil Creek, Arizona (near Payson); Kawa Bay, Hawaii (Big Island); McCarran ranch, Nevade (305 acres near Reno); Perazzo Meadow, California (near Truckee); and Ventana Wild Rivers, California (near Big Sur).
Land conservation efforts can start with only a few acres. A recent housing development gave in to a large group attending a public hearing. The result is a wildlife-friendly community being built on a hillside. Our voices can be heard and we can make a big difference in our own communities. What is happening in the central part of our country? I would like to hear from you!
