Following government shutdown, House Republicans should decide on new budget to reopen public lands

There are many definitions of wilderness. If we go with the official United States Government’s definition, it is relegated only to protected lands that have many restrictions. When accepting this definition, we also have to account for the government closing these wildernesses. As unimaginable as this seems, it happened at midnight on Oct. 1, 2013. The House Republicans could not agree on passing the new budget. This meant National Parks and Forests across the country are closed until a deal is passed. This means no visitors are allowed into these areas and everyone inside must leave.

Wilderness is not just a place to get lost in or somewhere untrammeled by man, but an idea, one of freedom and a place to escape to in our ever increasingly urbanized and industrialized society. We all have a bit of Wilderness (capital W) in our hearts. This type of Wilderness is one that cannot be shut down without the possibility of being reopened. It is a wilderness of the soul, the kind we dream of where raw life is felt and where truth and honesty are the only realities. There’s freedom in Wilderness, a place to be the wild men we still are, to swim in rivers and climb mountains. We need those mountains, deserts and seashores to escape from this society that traps us in a way of life that isn’t fulfilling or sustaining. There are healing powers in wilderness that are extremely valuable, a place to recharge and reflect.

Since wilderness areas are so valuable to the American spirit of freedom and liberty, I plead the U.S. Government and especially the House Republicans to work as hard as possible to decide on a new budget to reopen our public lands. At Lee’s Ferry, the put in for river trips down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon, people are rioting because they have lost their sanity without wilderness. This might sound selfish, but wilderness and natural areas are the only things worth saving. Spend some time in a wilderness area and you will soon find the powerful feeling of freedom and honesty. One last thing to the House Republicans who are bickering over the budget based on Obamacare being unconstitutional: spend some time in the outdoors. There really is no better healing effects and therapy for the mind and the soul than a visit to one of America’s beautiful designated wilderness areas.

Michael Dillon
Sophomore
Natural Resource Management major