Grandpas Want to Save the Planet Too!

In the never-never land of Eugene, Oregon, like minds often think alike on issues of politics, environment, and human rights. When I step outside of myself, my social network, and my fantastically liberal city, I remember the daunting number of people that hold strikingly different views.

It is isolating to observe these differences because the mythology of Eugene would have you believe that we are on the right track to political, environmental, and social revolution; I often feel defeated when I consider the country at large, and its commonly held values of hate and ignorace.

Redemption comes from situations that connect you to life outside of your town, your age bracket, and your everyday experiences. These connections help you to realize that defeat is not eminent. Small things, like the letter below, renew my hopes for overcoming the national obstacles that currently plague us.

Grandpa & Me


This is a letter sent by my Grandfather (age 70) to the USDA Forest Service to petition increased logging and other forest activities. Yes, even grandpas believe in revolution.

Content Analysis Team
ATT: Roadless State Petitions
USDA Forest Service
P. O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, Ut. 84122-1090

To Whom it May Concern:

I believe that if we went back to the time when National Forests were set aside, you would realize it was done so that families could hike, backpack, picnic, & camp-out in beautiful wild areas.

Not areas where roads and big bare spots, where trees have been clear cut, scaring our mountain sides.

President Clinton did a great deed for the northwestern states when he passed the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2001 to protect 58.5 million acres of forest land, and of that approx. 6 million acres in Montana!!

Our eco system will not stand for silted streams inw places where thousands of people come from all over the USA & beyond to fly fish each year.

Nor will it stand for destruction of the lands where wild animals run free & raise their young. Also, areas for big game hunting!!!! These areas should be kept as large wilderness rather than a few spots where our National Forest is left.

This is a free Country, so lets let the animals be free for what they were intended, after all the have been here longer than WE HAVE!!

My vote would be NO Snowmobiles, ATV'S, or four-wheelers disrupting our wildlife in the National Parks or National Forests. And NO to big logging trucks cutting up the forest with roads, causing erosion & mud slides.

Thank You.
Dean McKeever & Georgia McKeever
Hamilton, Montana