The Next 100 Years of American Conservation

By Chase Gunnell, Deputy Communications Director

Today, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell laid out an important vision for the next 100 years of conservation, a speech in conjunction with National Park Week, Earth Week and the centennial of the National Park Service. You can read her full remarks here: The Next 100 Years of American Conservation.

In this time when America’s public lands and our priceless natural heritage are under threat from extremists, radical politicians and powerful special interest groups, it’s imperative that leaders like Secretary Jewell take a strong stand to protect our public lands, waters and wildlife.

These are places that provide cherished outdoor recreation opportunities, critical habitat for fish and wildlife, and tremendous benefits for national, state and local economies. We agree with the Secretary that it’s time for the economic value of public lands and outdoor recreation to be more widely realized, and we thank her for her leadership on this issue.

What’s more, we were thrilled to hear the Secretary speak about the need to not just protect, but also to connect our nation’s wildlands and waters. We cannot preserve nature in pieces, conservation demands that we look at the whole. This notion is ever more important for people, fish, and wildlife when we look at the affects of climate change and the changing conditions it is bringing. Protecting AND connecting our wildlands and waters is vital for sustaining our natural, cultural and outdoor heritage for future generations.

Thank you Secretary Jewell!