Most people these days know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. Perhaps this mindset is what has led us to the crossroads of urgent decision-making on which way to go. Do we stay on automatic pilot and just run off the “cliff”? Or have we gathered enough information to awaken our ability to recognize the necessity to make another choice. Every “thing” ever humanly made has come from out of Nature. Everything!
Colorado has lost more than 50% of its deer in just under 20 years, due to habitat loss, traffic accidents, stress related disease, etc. According to Cornell Science Lab on Ornitholgy in 2019, 3 billion adult breeding birds in North America alone have disappeared in just under 50 years, much for the same reasons. Habitat loss. These losses are a strong signal our human-altered landscapes are loosing their ability to support Life.
Or mission now must be to replenish and protect our lands, forests, rivers, wetlands and grasslands rather than supporting reckless, destructive and irresponsible lifestyles impacting life and lives beyond ours.
The proposal made by Montezuma County to San Juan National Forests to create a 162 mile trail traversing our national forest from Sage Hen down the Dolores River Valley and connecting Montrose and Moab in order to capitalize on such traffic, and bring it to our area, I find to be the most irresponsible, inappropriate and destructive way to stimulate our economy, especially when all warning signs are saying, “STOP”!
Sheila WheelerDolores
