RAINYRAMBLES
The ecological value of public lands
BY REBECCA LEXA
Public lands make up nearly 40%
of the United States, managed at the
federal, state and county levels. Ide-
ally, these reserves are created to ben-
efit local residents and wildlife. In
practice, however, private interests
such as logging and mining often
put pressure on governmental enti-
ties to allow extractive activities that
can have detrimental effects on local
ecosystems.
Many public lands were taken vio-
lently from Indigenous people, who
often remain prohibited from exer-
cising ancestral fishing, hunting,
and other activities at these places.
Because of this history, conversa-
tions around these sites can be com-
plex, but these places are invaluable
for their ecological preservation .
While not all public lands are wil-
derness areas, most limit the amount
of development allowed within their
boundaries. National wildlife ref-
uges, for example, are managed specif-
ically for the benefit of wildlife. Other
national parks also feature wildlife and
other natural wonders as a large part
of their attraction.
However, many national and state
forests, as well as Bureau of Land
Management lands, are multiple use
lands that allow for extractive activ-
ities like mining and logging, yet are
large enough that they do still offer
some ecological value.
Habitat loss is the number one
cause of species endangerment and
extinction. Every acre of land that is
developed into homes and lawns, busi-
nesses, industrial buildings or conven-
tional agricultural fields, is one less
acre of land suitable for most animals,
plants and fungi. While some birds or
insects may be spotted in suburbs or
crossing farms and fields, these spe-
cies are a tiny minority of the whole,
undamaged ecosystem that used to be
there. And the fewer species an eco-
system has, the fewer complex interre-
lationships it has. That makes the eco-
system much more vulnerable to the
possibility of collapsing entirely.
Public lands, especially those man-
aged primarily as wilderness and nat-
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ural areas, are oases for many species.
Many animals are intolerant of humans
and need to have a lot of space, while
others need large territories. A lot of
native plants are reliant on healthy
ecosystems with interrelationships,
and can’t survive in isolation amid a
sea of manicured, chemical sprayed
lawns. But on large areas of these
lands they can thrive, and often these
are the only places they can do so.
Some park areas even boast few
remaining remnants of old-growth for-
ests and other intact, ancient ecosys-
tems. They allow us a glimpse of what
once was, what we’ve lost in all the
places torn apart and changed. For
those involved in habitat restoration,
these are irreplaceable records of what
we’re trying to recreate, however
imperfectly. They also offer popula-
tions of species with unique genes that
often differ from the genetic makeup
of the same species in a different loca-
tion, and if those two populations are
still able to find each other they can
enhance their overall species through
the blending of genetic diversity.
But even public lands are becom-
ing increasingly fragmented. Some
pieces of land are auctioned off to
private bidders, who will often har-
vest its natural resources or strip it
down to create housing. Sometimes
land remains in public hands, but eco-
systems are degraded or destroyed
through clear cutting, strip mining and
other harmful activities. And so less
of these oases remain, threatening the
biodiversity that hasn’t already been
exterminated.
One way to help preserve public
land ecosystems is through contact-
ing federal, state and local officials.
Push for protection of these valuable
places. Numerous nonprofits exist to
help amplify the voices of people in
this regard. As I dive back into my col-
umn series on native and invasive spe-
cies, I’ll touch on some ways to fill in
ecological gaps in the areas between
public lands.
Rebecca Lexa is an Oregon Master
Naturalist, nature educator, tour guide,
and writer living on the Long Beach
Peninsula. More about her work may
be found at RebeccaLexa.com.
Photos by Lissa Brewer
TOP: Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is home to many
wetland and marsh ecosystems. ABOVE: Wetland grasses sprout
from the river’s edge at Netul Landing. RIGHT: A sign lets visitors
know that vegetative restoration is in progress near Fort Clatsop.