The differences between Maine and Utah are substantial. Think LL Bean boots vs. cowboy boots. King pines vs. sagebrush. Moose vs. bighorn sheep. Oysters vs. Rocky Mountain oysters. This divide also holds true for treatment of public lands.
In America’s West, vast national forests and national parks are owned by and open to the public. By comparison, in many parts of the Northeast, the closest many folks get to wilderness is the median strip of Interstate 95. As a result, Northeast residents like myself fiercely protect our ability to use and enjoy the forests, lakes, and coastlines to which access still exists.
The above excerpt was originally published in The Huffington Post.
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