The long presidential campaign appears over and a long road lies ahead. The election underscored the deep divisions in our country and it played out amid the renewed spread of the coronavirus, related economic concerns, and ongoing racial strife.
Against this backdrop, one might point to greater priorities than conservation. However, conservation can play a key role in moving our nation forward and SCA is eager to work with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, as well as the new Congress on this most important front.
Public lands literally are the common ground that all Americans share, and we saw how people turned to the outdoors for strength and solace as the shadow of the pandemic grew. It is vital now that we redouble our efforts to address climate change, protect our public lands and local communities, and provide green jobs for young people including those most marginalized.
Doing so will not only help our country advance, it will help us heal. Everyone, regardless of their politics, wants and deserves the security of a healthy environment, clean air and water, and equitable access to nature. And no one is immune to the prolonged droughts, wildfires, storm seasons, and other effects of global warming. Creating new opportunities in conservation will put our economy on the move again, and move those on the outer edges of that economy closer to prosperity and away from systemic injustices.
We watched this election, as we have every four years since the Eisenhower administration, with great interest, yet we did so through neither blue nor red-colored glasses. SCA’s organizational views are apolitical; our affiliation belongs only to conservation and youth co-powerment. And while the razor-thin margins of so many political races may confirm our differences, the record-setting voter turnout shows a widespread will to improve our collective lot, as does the approval of so many ecologically-themed ballot initiatives across the country.
Let us now turn our resolve into action and make our natural world stronger together. For as SCA works with the new administration in Washington, we also look forward to working with you – from wilderness areas to hometown sanctuaries – to achieve our common objectives and forge a better future for all.
