A Trail of Thoughts: Where I call Home

Taking care of the fantastic area that I get to call home is important to me. The reality is that this Valley is not as quiet as it once was.

The overcrowding that has consumed the Front Range is only going to continue to spill over into other parts of this state.

I believe that it is becoming quite clear that the need for measures such as responsible forest management and other conservation methods are needed now more than ever.

Management practices seem to oscillate between one extreme and the other according to what history has shown us. No, destroying landscapes without a good reason is not OK.

However, a do-nothing methodology is not the answer either. Many of the trails in the local forests have so many dead trees that they are becoming a public safety hazard.

While I certainly appreciate the efforts that are now underway to address this issue, it is a drop in the ocean.

It comes back to giving public agencies the license to be able to do what is needed and not letting a radical agenda take theme hostage on these issues. Those who desire reasonable degrees of conservation need to speak up. The farming and ranching communities should also be willing to take a stand for the rural way of life that feeds the world. There are also basic things such as recycling and promoting the Leave no Trace Philosophy that can help to keep our area beautiful. I want the area that I call home to remain beautiful for years to come, and I plan to do my part to help it stay that way.