Sam Gibbons: “on Saturday, September 28, in honor of National Public Lands Day, a 3,000-mile trek crossing six states and 14 national…”

“on Saturday, September 28, in honor of National Public Lands Day, a 3,000-mile trek crossing six states and 14 national forests will end in Salt Lake City, Utah. Last July 31, two teams began this unique journey with one group departing from New Mexico and the other from Montana. Their travels were solely on public lands and consisted of hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, canoeing, boating and driving SUVs. Those Americans making this trek also worked to educate people, especially our youth, on the importance of public lands. Public lands are a tremendous source for clean air, clean water and open space, and they provide important natural resources, such as minerals, coal, gas, oil, forage and timber. It is my hope that National Public Lands Day will remind all of America of the important role public lands play in protecting ecosystems, as well as contributing to our national economy and our national defense. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, Congress must enact responsible public land policies.”