Getting Back to Basics With the worldwide focus on economic hardship, it is likely that we will face even greater challenges protecting our waterways from indifference and neglect. As funding dwindles, and the public focus shifts to financial concerns, we will need to remind ourselves that conserving the environment is not an optional activity, reserved for when money is plentiful. Conservation is an imperative that helps protect the remaining wealth and value in our society that ought to be a legacy shared by all. Conserving the environment is an investment against future scarcity. We add value and wealth to our communities by protecting robust forests, clean water, abundant fisheries, and swimmable beaches. Saving land, water, and open space, while using proper management and safeguards to protect the environment, can sustain us all in prosperity and hedge against a poor economy. Our opponents will always argue that the economic climate demands that we make environmental sacrifices now in order to make money. But this is the death rattle of a system of thinking and values that has already greatly damaged our society and our economy. We need to make use of these leaner times to learn how to make our society more efficient, less wasteful, more productive, and more fair when it comes to determining how common resources are managed and allocated. My parents and grandparents described how, during tough times, like the Great Depression and World War II, people worked together to form better and stronger communities. They found new and ingenious ways to get things done with less, all while gaining a deeper appreciation for the simple things in life. In fact, it was those simple things, such as being outdoors, fishing, hiking, and the pursuit of other inexpensive and healthful activities that brought great value to their lives and tided them over when things seemed bleak. Even in severe times of scarcity and rationing, it was a point of pride that people learned to adapt, changed wasteful habits, and became stronger as a result—instead of trying to restore the formerly wasteful ways. Now is the time to get back to the basics—celebrating the smaller things that give big value in return. The next time somebody tells you we cannot afford to protect the environment, insist that it is their values and not the economy that is the problem. Ann ual Me mb ers hip MT G DEC 14 @ 6 PM- 8PM @ Kil lar ney H OUS E 584 West Ce ntral Av e, D avid son ville Join us for an e veni ng o f fu n, a revi ew of th e 20 08 Rive rke epe r Re port an d ou r Fo rec ast f or 2and help us rec ogni ze o ur g rKind ly