July 4th, 2019.
Celebrating our great nation today and thinking about this quote about America by President Theodore Roosevelt:
"We have become great in a material sense because of the lavish use of our resources, and we have just reason to be proud of our growth. But the time has come to inquire seriously what will happen when our forests are gone, when the coal, the iron, the oil, and the gas are exhausted, when the soils shall have been still further impoverished and washed in the streams, polluting the rivers."
Roosevelt believed in protecting the environment for future generations. He established the National Forest Service in 1905 and during his presidency the federal forest system grew by nearly 130 million acres. He created Federal Bird Reserves, which are known today as national wildlife refuges, and are found in every state. Also, during the Roosevelt administration, the National Park System grew substantially.
On this Fourth of July holiday, I am hopeful that we Americans will continue to work to protect the environment. Future generations are counting on us!
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