Public Lands: Who Owns Buffaloes’ Home?

“For Bush, Environment Is Local” (March 3) says that in the Bush administration “the federal government plays the role of facilitator rather than dictator.” This story was an advocacy piece for an ignorant retreat to the glory days of the 1950s business environment, when U.S. rivers were sumps for sewage effluent and industrial waste and urban residents died from breathing polluted air. If local entities would protect any public resource that generates income, there would be no need for federal environmental laws. History proves they don’t, won’t or can’t take care of lands that line their pockets. Polluted water and air cross state boundaries, and so only on the federal level can we deal with protecting our water and air.

National parks, forests and other federal lands belong to all of us, not to local businesses, and are managed and protected by us through our elected Congress. Petroleum and minerals are irreplaceable national resources that shouldn’t be squandered for short-term profits.

It is difficult and expensive to clean up our act, but is it too hard? The Bush administration seems to think so. I think there are other people with the will and ability to care for our beautiful land, and at my next opportunity I’ll vote for people who look like they can.

Kay Stewart

San Diego

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We enjoy Yellowstone in the winter and usually go there every other year.

In all fairness, why not show a picture of Yellowstone in the summer months with bumper-to-bumper traffic with every imaginable RV and SUV made. They are blocking the bison crossing the roads and people are even outside of their vehicles taking pictures, endangering themselves and especially the animals.

We think there is a conspiracy to keep the people out of the national parks, and they belong to the people.

Jim and Mary Walker

Cerritos