The harsh truth? The government isn’t the guardian of our wild spaces—it’s often the greatest threat to them. If we want these lands to remain free, wild, and protected, the responsibility doesn’t lie in Washington. It lies with us.

The Dark History of “Conservation”

The narrative we’ve been sold is that national parks were created to preserve nature’s beauty for future generations. But the reality, obscured by history books and patriotic slogans, is far more unsettling.

Many of these lands were seized from Indigenous communities who had lived in balance with nature for thousands of years. The creation of iconic parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite came at the expense of Native tribes who were forcibly removed, their traditions criminalized under the guise of conservation. The U.S. Army, acting as enforcers before the National Park Service even existed, patrolled these lands to keep Indigenous people from returning home.

This wasn’t protection—it was exclusion, driven by a government more interested in control than in conservation. Understanding this history reveals why entrusting the government with the future of these lands is not only naïve—it’s dangerous.

Why the Government Can’t Be Trusted to Protect Our Lands

For all its talk of preservation, the government’s track record on public lands is riddled with failure and exploitation. Here’s why we should stop relying on bureaucratic promises:
• Neglect Through Underfunding: Federal agencies like the National Park Service are chronically underfunded and understaffed. Trails fall into disrepair, ecosystems suffer, and essential maintenance goes ignored while politicians funnel resources elsewhere.
• Political Exploitation: Land protections can vanish with the stroke of a pen. Every election cycle brings the risk of reversing conservation gains as public lands are opened for oil drilling, logging, or corporate development in the name of “economic growth.”
• Indigenous Exclusion Persists: Despite growing calls for justice, Indigenous communities are still sidelined from managing lands that were once theirs. Government co-management agreements often amount to little more than symbolic gestures, leaving Native voices unheard.
• Corporate Influence: Powerful industries—mining, logging, oil—lobby heavily for access to public lands, and politicians too often oblige. What’s sold as “resource management” is frequently just legalized exploitation.

When power is centralized, it becomes easy for those in charge to prioritize profits over protection. The system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as it was designed to.

The Solution: Local Action, Not Federal Control

If the government won’t protect our lands, who will? We will. Individuals, communities, and grassroots movements have always been the true stewards of nature. Here’s how we take back that responsibility:
• Get Involved Where You Live: You don’t need permission from Washington to make a difference. Organize local clean-ups, volunteer with conservation groups, or support community-led land trusts that prioritize preservation over profit.
• Honor Indigenous Leadership: Indigenous communities have lived in harmony with these lands for centuries. Support their efforts to reclaim stewardship and respect traditional ecological knowledge that prioritizes balance and sustainability.
• Challenge Corporate Greed: Hold corporations accountable when they attempt to exploit public lands. Boycott businesses that support destructive policies and amplify the voices of activists fighting for preservation.
• Live Responsibly: Protecting public lands starts with personal action—follow Leave No Trace principles, minimize waste, and advocate for a lifestyle that respects the natural world.

A New Vision for Public Lands: Free from Bureaucracy

Imagine a future where public lands are truly free—untouched by government mismanagement and corporate exploitation, cared for by the people who love and depend on them. A future where Indigenous communities lead stewardship efforts, and local action carries more weight than federal red tape.

That future isn’t a fantasy—it’s possible if we stop waiting for the government to solve problems it helped create. These lands don’t belong to Washington, and they never did. They belong to the rivers, the forests, the animals—and to us, the people who cherish them.

The Responsibility Is Ours

Nature doesn’t need bureaucrats in suits or politicians making empty promises. It needs people who care enough to fight for it—people who understand that real protection comes from action, not legislation.

The wilderness has always belonged to those who are willing to defend it. So the question isn’t, “What will the government do to save our public lands?” It’s, “What will you do?”