Being outside, in the wild, and looking at the beautiful Rocky Mountains, while talking to the Ranger, meant that I could see what he is so concerned about. The views, the fresh air and the information we were sharing made me more committed to conservation than ever. As we talked, we walked on a sort trail, allowing me to get a view of the mountains and valleys surrounding us, and being influenced by all the natural beauty all around us.

I was interested to learn that Idaho is 60% owned by the Federal Government and that this has made it possible to preserve so much of the natural environment. When the Ranger spoke of this fact, he smiled, saying that not many people liked this situation. People would rather develop the land, cut down timber, and start cattle ranches in these areas. But the Ranger did point out that as “we keep chipping away” more and more land will be lost to development. What we need an island to camp and fish, hunt and go boating and skiing, according to the Ranger. Again, as he made this comment, he smiled and his face lit up. This is a man who believes passionately in conserving the habitat he works in. He also knows the value of the natural environment for all of us.

He told me something of the history of Idaho, and his beliefs about what has gone wrong in the past were clear. Even though Europeans did not arrive on the east side of the US early, so a lot of wildlife managed to survive, they did get there eventually. By the early 1900s, much of the wildlife had been depleted – he especially mentioned bison. What was positive was the feeling that the seedlings of the wildlife were still available, and people started to conserve. So today, there is a lot of wildlife again, but again, it is being threatened. While there is, as mentioned, a fair amount of public land, the demand is growing for development and farmland. As we sat next to a small stream, it hit home that so much of this environment is vulnerable to humans.

Already, there are very serious problems with the number of weeds growing in the area. These are aggressive weeds and they stop the growth of the natural sagebrush. This happens especially in the lowlands. In the higher elevations, the weeds tend not to grow as much.&nbsp.