I would like a copy of the complete speech. Paul Rebers At 08:35 AM 2/10/99 -0600, you wrote: >An excerpt of Chief Dombeck's speech. I will forward the entire speech to >anyone who would like to read it. >Jane Clark >===================================================== >Nothing should ever compromise public ownership of public lands. Our >overriding objective must be to maintain the health, diversity, and >productivity of our lands and waters - recreation use must occur within >those ecological sideboards. Outdoor recreation is a wonderful way to >educate our children about the wonders of nature and the imperative of >treating and stewarding the land with respect. > >In the end, recreation use - all uses of national forests and grasslands >are >about limits. Talking about limits to growth is very difficult for such a >prosperous culture as ours. We are a nation of optimism, where we attempt >to >use technology and wealth to find solutions to resource dilemmas. >Unfortunately, such growth even with the best technology often carries >consequences. > >Wild places and natural areas are of increasing importance to a society >that >can afford to protect them. We are all too familiar with the battle between >protection and development. The writer, T.H. Watkins recently said, ``in >natural regions, as in public libraries, we should not be allowed to do >everything we can merely because we can do it.'' A decade ago, the timber >program on national forests ran up against a buzz saw of changing social >and >environmental values in the Pacific Northwest. And just as surely as a >river >will find its flood plain, social values will prevail in such debates. > >Most Americans value public lands for the sense of open space, wildness and >naturalness they provide, clean air and water, and wildlife and fish. Other >uses, whether they are ski developments, mountain biking trails, or off >road >vehicles have a place in our multiple use framework. But that place is >reached only after we ensure that such activities do not, and will not, >impair the productive capacity of the land. That is the essence of our >recreation strategy. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send email to [log in to unmask] >Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF IOWA-TOPICS > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send email to [log in to unmask] Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF IOWA-TOPICS