“Every time I have the privilege to experience wilderness, my heart rate drops and my whole body smiles. Wilderness is majestic, beautiful, and offers many meaningful experiences.”

“These are places I physically depend on for clean water and clean air. And they are places I depend on for connection to friends and family, community, my favorite memories, and to a much bigger, wilder world.”

“Wilderness makes me pause, reset, and its reminds me that I am not separate. It leaves me with hope for a better time.”

“I hope that advocates for wilderness in the future cast a wide net—across the political spectrum and various backgrounds—to protect these places but crucially make it so wilderness is not led by any certain group or background. Rather, I hope wilderness will be viewed as something that can be accessed, enjoyed, and loved by all.”

“Protection, protection, protection. We must do all that we can to work towards continued protection of our wilderness areas. Encourage our young folks to get out and experience what wilderness is so they can be the continued champions in the coming years to continue the work of protecting her.”

“When we protect nature and allow ecosystems to develop and thrive without our interference, we're really investing in our own future.”

“The unique jewels of American wilderness are not replaceable, nor can they be recreated once destroyed. They are places that are and should be viewed as sacred: as trusts to be handed down to future generations intact and thriving.”

“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.”