One of every three acres of land in the U.S. – 600 million acres in all – belongs to each and every one of us. These lands represent the country’s special, one-of-a-kind natural resources – the national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, coastal preserves, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes and reservoirs that all of us use to hike, bike, climb, swim, explore, picnic, or just simply relax.
Every September, Americans by the thousands come out for a day-long, coast-to-coast effort to preserve and improve the lands they love as part of National Public Lands Day. The volunteers build trails and bridges, plant trees, clear brush, and remove trash. This year, Juneau will be cleaning and trail building at Mendenhall Glacier to join in the preservation of our nation’s public lands on Saturday, September, 27.
There are a few features that will distinguish National Public Lands Day 2008 from previous years. This year National Public Lands Day will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Famous for planting over 3 billion trees in the 1930’s, the Civilian Conservation Corps played a leading role in restoring America’s deteriorating forests. Their legacy continues as the newest generation of conservationists work to plant one million trees in the weeks leading up to National Public Lands Day.
This country-wide effort is coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation. Chartered by Congress in 1990, the National Environmental Education Foundation is a private nonprofit (401c3) organization that develops and supports environmental learning programs to meet social goals.
More information about this event and it’s history, along with a list of sites across the country can be found at National Public Lands Day. Get involved by lending a hand to America’s lands, specifically the Mendenhall Glacier area. Please contact SAGA to get involved in this special day.
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