Freedom Requires Responsibility, Stewardship, Participation, Leadership, and Passing It On.
“Freedom isn’t something we simply enjoy; it’s
something we help preserve.”
By Del Albright
As I sat down to write Part II of this America 250 series, I found myself reflecting on something I’ve learned over the years. Whether I was wearing an Army uniform, working as a wildland firefighter, serving as a fire chief, or spending countless hours fighting to keep public lands open, one lesson has remained remarkably consistent. WE own this freedom and WE have to preserve it.
Freedom Comes with Responsibility.
In Part I, I talked about what America looks like from where
many of us stand—not from the steps of a government building or behind a
television camera, but from a mountain trail, a desert campsite, a quiet
fishing hole, or a rig parked at the end of a long dirt road. That’s where many
of us experience America. It’s where freedom feels real.
As our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of
independence, I’ve been thinking less about fireworks and parades, and more
about the responsibility that comes with the freedoms we enjoy every
day. One of those freedoms is something I’ve spent much of my life
protecting: access to our public lands.
People sometimes ask me why I devote so much time to
volunteer work, recreation advocacy, writing, and encouraging others to get
involved. My answer is usually pretty simple. It’s because access doesn’t
happen by accident. It never has.
Every trail we drive, every campsite we enjoy, every stretch
of desert, forest, mountain, sand dune, or backcountry road that remains open
today is there because somebody cared enough to stand up for it. Long before
most of us arrived, volunteers were building trails, restoring damaged areas,
attending public meetings, organizing clubs, writing comment letters, and
working alongside land managers. They weren’t looking for recognition. They
simply believed these places were worth protecting.
Now it’s our turn.
I’ve often said that responsible, sustainable recreation is
one of the strongest forms of advocacy we have. Every time we stay on
designated routes, pack out our trash, lend a hand to someone on the trail,
cleanup someone else’s campfire pit, or leave a campsite cleaner than we found
it, we’re doing more than following good outdoor ethics. We’re demonstrating
that motorized recreation and stewardship belong together.
That’s an important message.
For years, some have tried to paint outdoor recreation and
conservation as opposing ideas. I don’t buy it. Never have. In my experience,
the people who spend the most time enjoying public lands are often the very
people willing to volunteer to protect them. They understand that taking care
of the land isn’t a burden—it’s simply part of the privilege of using it.
But stewardship alone isn’t enough.
If we want to keep America open, we also have to
participate.
Freedom Requires Participation
I’ve attended more public meetings than I can count. I’ve
worked alongside agency folks, conservation groups, recreation clubs, elected
officials, and volunteers from every walk of life. One thing has always stood
out to me: the future is usually shaped by the people who show up.
Not necessarily the loudest people. Not necessarily the
smartest people. But the people who care enough to be there.
That’s a lesson worth remembering, whether you’re talking
about a local trail, a national forest, or the future of public lands across
America.
Leadership plays a role too, but perhaps not in the way many
people think. Leadership isn’t always standing behind a podium or carrying an
impressive title. More often, it’s helping someone change a flat tire on a
trail. It’s introducing a youngster to camping for the first time. It’s
volunteering for a cleanup project on a Saturday morning. It’s quietly setting
an example that others choose to follow.
That’s the kind of leadership our public lands have always
needed.
As America approaches its 250th birthday, I hope we take a
moment to appreciate something our Founders understood from the very beginning:
freedom isn’t self-sustaining. Every generation inherits it, but every
generation also has a responsibility to protect it.
The same is true for our public lands. We’re not simply
users of these places. We’re their current caretakers.
Freedom Requires Passing It On
Someday, today’s young campers, hunters, anglers,
off-roaders, hikers, and overlanders will inherit the trails we ride, the
forests we explore, and the deserts we love. Whether those opportunities still
exist depends, in part, on what we choose to do today.
That’s why I continue to believe in volunteerism.
That’s why I continue to believe in responsible, sustainable
outdoor recreation.
That’s why I continue encouraging people to get involved.
Because keeping America open isn’t somebody else’s
job. It’s ours.
America at 250
As we celebrate America 250, perhaps one of the best ways to
honor those who came before us is to leave something worth passing on to those
who come after us.
To me, that’s what patriotism looks like out here. Not
just waving the flag. But caring for the land beneath it.
Closing Thought
The older I get, the more I appreciate that freedom isn’t
measured by what we can take from the land. It’s measured by what we’re willing
to give back.
If each of us does a little, together we accomplish a
lot. That’s how we keep America open—not just for ourselves, but for the
generations still to come.
Del Albright
Author, Outdoor Recreation, Public Lands, Books & Articles (DelAlbright.com)
Hall of Fame, 2014 Inductee, Off-Road
Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF)
Life Member, Calif. 4Wheel Drive
Association (C4WDA )
Social Media Mgr., American Sand Association (ASA)
Founding Trail Boss, Friends of the Rubicon
(FOTR)
