From the summit of Stony Man, Shenandoah National Park is endless forest and rolling mountaintops. The vibrant autumn colors lure tourists from around the globe. Although hard to imagine today, the forests here were not always viewed as beauteous mountainsides of scenic wonder, but instead mountainsides of railroad ties, charcoal, and lumber.
The majority of forests east of the Mississippi River were harvested in the 1800’s for the western expansion of the United States. Most eastern forests were felled to fuel this westward push. In fact, today less than 1% of original old growth forests exists east of the Mississippi. Thus, looking out from my belvedere at Stonyman summit, I am looking out to United States history and the story of nature’s resilience.
Of course the rebounded forest on these mountainsides necessitated the cooperation and collaboration of leaders and law. It was the work of inspired environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts, and political powers that lead to the proclamation of Shenandoah National Park in 1936. Protection from federal law inevitably planted the way for nature to demonstrate its resilience within said boundaries, but what about other natural areas of our country that are not so fortunate?
What about overlooked habitats integral to ecosystem health? What about those corridors of habitat that exist at the heels of urban cityscape? How resilient can such nature be without mercy granted by political authority? What lines are drawn to protect these final corridors to ecosystem sustainability?
In Shenandoah, it was those inspired environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts banging upon government doors. In Southern California, it could be the residents of the Gavilan Hills Plateau demanding attention and spreading awareness about their backyards, about their dwindling habitat that unifies otherwise discrete protected areas.
Without a voice, how can the relevance of natural areas be known?
Standing here overlooking Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains, I am grateful to the men that made the relevance of this area known. Because of them a national park was created, between drawn lines nature rebounded, and 70 years later I am watching the dazzling autumn show.
