No Mansions in Yellowstone

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

Meister Eckhart

My readers will recall that in my last post I ventured into the subject of politics and the threatened proposal to sell off 250 million acres of public land to private interests. It was extremely gratifying to receive so many comments with promises to contact senators. Our efforts were not in vain. The proposal was taken out of the final bill. It was extremely unpopular with both conservatives and progressives, a rare opportunity to come together and reach across the chasm. These lands belong to all of us.

I live in the northeast corner of Washington state, and unlike much of the state, its residents are mostly conservative in their political leanings. I was therefore delighted to overhear a conversation in the Brew Pub recently while I sipped my cider and ate street tacos. Of course the Brew Pub is where I get all of my important news about town, and I could not help eavesdropping when I heard the name Teddy Roosevelt. This early conservationist has been a hero of mine for a long time. Two men seated at the bar were discussing politics and the sell off proposal. “Teddy Roosevelt is the reason there are no mansions in Yellowstone,” one man said.

He was wrong about that, but his intent was accurate. The twenty-sixth president played a role in setting aside land for wildlife refuges, National Monuments, and parks. Yellowstone National Park was actually established by Congress in 1872, the oldest National Park in the nation and perhaps in the world. Congress had the good sense to recognize the value of such a place and protect it as public land, as it remains today . . .no mansions.

National Parks were not part of the sell off proposal, but there has been discussion about selling off many of the National Monuments for development, oil extraction, and mining. For now they remain public.

The photo above was taken from Artists’ Point, a very popular destination for artists, photographers, and tourists from allover the world who visit Yellowstone each year. It is so popular that it is sometimes difficult to make one’s way through the crowd and take in that vista. Imagine what it would be like now if that land had not been set aside and protected. A mansion might well be situated at that very site.

My early hiking years while still a teenager occurred in two National Parks, Mt. Rainier and the Olympics. Both parks were close to my home in Tacoma. They were not so crowded in those days. Olympic National Park was created by a different Roosevelt, Franklin D., in 1937. There are no mansions there either.

For now these lands remain public, set aside for the enjoyment of all. This process, these lands, are sacred. Merriam-Webster defines this word as, “dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity.” Whatever deity you may or may not worship, there is a quality of holiness to our public lands. In the Book of John Jesus tells his followers, “In my father’s house are many mansions.” Not in the National Parks.