Erosion! It's a Beautiful Thing

                By Del Albright, Sustainable Motorized Recreation Advocate

When I wrote this, I had just returned from a marvelous visit to southern Utah and several National Parks.  I couldn't believe how beautiful erosion could be.   Yes, erosion. This area of the United States has been eroded over time to some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever experienced. But think about how we perceive that word today: erosion.

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It seems we've tweaked words in different directions these days from how they were originally meant.  Today, erosion supposedly needs mitigation, yet some of our most treasured national parks were formed by erosion. Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon NP, Zion, Cedar Breaks, etc., were all caused by wind and water erosion.

Yet ask some of our self-proclaimed "environmentalist" friends, and you'll hear the bad things about erosion.  Interesting.  What about the beauty of nature's creations, which have been caused many times by pure erosion?

There is another tweaked word: environmentalist.  You won't hear me call the radical protectionists environmentalists.  No sir! The real environmentalists are folks like those of us in organized recreation groups who fight to preserve our resources for sustainable public use.

Radical protectionists or anti-access folks are names that better fit the folks who run around spouting book-learned ecology and advocating excluding us from our public lands.  Stacie, my wife, calls them "exclusionary elitists." Unfortunately, the anti-access folks get the media attention they do, but that's life today. And that brings me to another word that's been misused: access.

Access means passage and freedom of entry.  This does not mean that entry is only for those who recreate by non-motor means.  It should mean access for all.  It should mean sharing our public lands and sharing our trails -- for all users. In my opinion, it should not mean a mandatory ride on a shuttle bus to see our public lands, which we've already paid for and hired folks to manage.

As a side note, the reality is we will have to ride shuttles someday. It's too bad that some of our public land managers didn't plan far enough ahead to see this coming. Plans could have been made and public input included so that something besides a cattle car would be available. Perhaps a reservation system in combination with the inevitable shuttle ride?  Nonetheless, you might as well think of shuttle rides as part of our right to access some busy areas and parks.

Now, please do not get me wrong about environmental issues or activists. We need both sides of any issue to make the best decisions. And the world is full of good people trying to do real good for our environment. They have my respect. I have a Master's Degree in Environmental Studies and Planning, so yes, I am concerned and care about what we do to our planet. However, radical, exclusionary attitudes do not fit in with public land management.

I am confident of one thing. When you stand on a wind-swept sandstone formation that breaks off below you hundreds of feet down, you can't help but behold the beauty of a word like erosion. But words like erosion, environmentalist, and access have all taken on multiple meanings these days. 

My suggestion to you is to ensure the words you're speaking are the words your listener is hearing.  One never knows. When making a speech to a group of county supervisors, giving testimony in front of elected officials (congress, legislators), arguing with a group of anti-access advocates, or just fighting for access to your trail, choose your words carefully. And trust me, I still get head shakes when I say, "Erosion is a beautiful thing."

 

In this book, I write extensively about organizing and teaching volunteers about erosion and public land management in general. You can get a copy here.

HELPFUL LINKS:

DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)

PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)

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