“In this rural community, each of us values our home as ours, yet wilderness is home for all of us. We don’t own it and our time there is impermanent, a love affair without bounds. This is why we live here.”

“My community's economy and wellbeing relies on wilderness and outdoor access. Without them we wouldn't have clean air and water, vast healthy grazing and cropland for local sustainable agriculture, and healthy activities around which to build community. Economic drivers like hunting and outdoor recreation are critical for our small towns.”

“Walking away from comforts of home and out into a wild place has completely shaped who I am. The sound of the wind through crags and rustling through aspens, the vast views from a lone peak, and the rush of water melting down from a season of snowpack accent my life.”