Fremont County is large, diverse, and filled with opinions, or “talk in the 10.” “Talk in the 10” is an opportunity for you, our readers, to articulate and share your thoughts about what is happening in the community with the community. Letters may have been edited for clarity and length, but generally have been published exactly as received. The views expressed in the following are solely those of the author. Send your letters to our editors by emailing opinion@county10.com
If you’ve never hiked far enough into the backcountry that you can’t see a road, by golly you should give it a try. Without the cacophony of civilization, the symphony of nature swells to life. The abundance of wildlife in places with few or no roads can be staggering.
Like my grandfather, and his grandfather before him, I was raised with my hands in the earth. Generations of farming and ranching, of caring for all creatures great and small, taught me great intrinsic truths. Care for the land, and she will care for you. If something is broken, fix it.
The Roadless Rule may not be perfect, but the bones are good. It protects some of Wyoming’s best wildlife habitat and backcountry hunting and fishing opportunities while still allowing active forest management, grazing, recreation, and wildfire mitigation. Let’s fix what needs fixing and protect what needs protecting.
Right now, the federal government is considering rescinding the rule entirely. I believe that would be a mistake. In Wyoming, we fix things. We do not throw them away.
Something eases in my chest, and a sense of relief fills my bones when braided rivers, rolling meadows, and big sweeping slopes of green, unscarred and whole, soar before my eyes. There, on a far ridge up the east fork of the Wind River, sits a single antler, a silent story of a bull elk, bedding down to enjoy the view. I sit down next to it, breathing in the scent of spring, as I roll a few elk hairs between my fingers. What a precious gift.
I respectfully ask Senator Barrasso, Senator Lummis, and Representative Hageman to support keeping the Roadless Rule in place and work toward practical improvements where needed instead of a wholesale rescission.
Wyoming is big country, and feels even bigger when I crest that final ridge into a hidden pocket where only hooves, wings, and tired feet can travel. Places like that are special, and increasingly rare. Someday, I hope to bring my babies to these same places, and teach them to love and care for the land as I do. I hope to help them pack out their first elk and catch their first trout in these valleys and windswept ridgelines.
I hope to see you back there too.
Signed,
Pixie Herbert
Pixie Herbert lives in a yurt on Togwotee Pass with the love of her life, and spends most of her days handfeeding mountain chickadees, calling her representatives, hunting woodland creatures with a traditional bow, backcountry skiing, or looking for agates, antlers, and morels. She is proud to serve as a Conservation Ambassador for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.