Public "Ownership" Key to Recovery

Recently, Joel Connelly of the Seattle PI wrote about the state of storm damage on Washington's national forest lands and the difficult task the forest service faces to repair and restore their lands. A critical component of long term recovery of these lands is the public's sense of ownership of our Forests and lands. As Joel correctly points out, volunteering to clear down trees from trails or rebuild washed out bridges helps establish a sense of ownership, which in turn may result in stronger congressional support for our public lands.