One thing seems apparent from what we have been hearing since the November election: Preservation of our public lands as we know them will face some serious challenges ahead. Plans to open public lands to energy development and logging, transfer federal lands to states or private developers, cut funding to agencies that protect public lands, shrink national monuments and put a stop to abating climate change have caught the attention of many of us who love Summit County for its abundant public lands.

 After all, Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry accounts for 404,000 jobs, represents 12% of the entire labor force in Colorado and produces $22.2 billion dollars in total salaries and wages.  Studies say 92% of Colorado residents participate in outdoor recreation each year. The outdoor economy gives us our high quality of life. It is why we are here. 

As a lifelong conservationist, I confess to being deeply concerned about what the next four years may hold for our public lands. 

Choosing not to get into a downward spiral of sadness and anger about what could happen, I have tried to be thankful for being able to live in beautiful Summit County, while remaining proactive in protecting what makes it so great to live here. 

In this season of thankfulness, I have needed to remind myself to appreciate the natural beauty around me. The blue skies have been almost overwhelming. Here in Summit County, elevation and relative lack of pollution create blues so amazing they are difficult to describe. Turquoise blue? Deep blue? Bluer than a bluebird? Stellar’s Jay blue? Even though I’ve watched them for decades, the contrast of that sweet blue with the brilliant white peaks is just unbeatable. 

When sunset comes, I am completely transfixed again. The blues give way to golden clouds, turning bright orange just above the peaks, then transforming once again as the orange turns to a cherry pink. 

Indigenous people lived here in sustainable ways for thousands of years, leaving these large pieces of land undamaged, giving us the opportunity to protect these lands for future generations. Approximately 80% of Summit County is public land, mostly managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the White River National Forest. Ptarmigan and Eagles Nest Wilderness are the two congressionally designated wilderness areas in Summit. In many ways, the winter allows for some natural healing from the heavy recreational use in the busy warm months. 

If you are thankful, like me, for these amazing lands in our beautiful county, please join me in volunteering to protect them. Due to lack of federal funding, we need more help than ever. You could volunteer to be a trailhead host and greet people embarking on their day hike or backpack trip. You could combine that with being a volunteer ranger and hike the trails while also talking to visitors who often don’t know how to limit their impact, walking off into meadows stomping down Alpine flowers or relying on the poop fairy to clean up after their pups.

Groups like Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance also have other volunteer opportunities, including llama-supported, multi-day work trips into the backcountry, cleaning up more remote locations. 

While I remain ever conscious of the beauty of the public lands around us, I know we can’t take public lands for granted. It’s more important than ever to stay informed, and to step up to volunteer.

Karn Stiegelmeier is a volunteer wilderness ranger for the Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance, an all-volunteer nonprofit that helps the U.S. Forest Service protect and preserve the wilderness areas in Eagle and Summit counties. For more information, visit Wild4ESWA.org