Is it time to make a National Park?

There have been many instances over the past few years where businesses are looking to expand or relocate to the Driftless Area and change the landscape for their business needs. Those efforts are faced with efforts by many to preserve this incredible land. There are efforts going on to preserve this magnificent landscape. However, of the 2-3 land-preserving agencies that are doing great work in the Driftless, they are only preserving about 2,000 acres a year. At this rate, it would take 2 centuries to preserve only Crawford County, not to mention the other 8 counties that lie in the Driftless Area.

I believe we need to step up these efforts to at least 10,000 to 15,000 acres a year. I think it's doable. Driftless Area landowners love their land. It is sacred to them. And, they worry what will happen to it when they are gone. I have heard stories about landowners and the relief they feel when they place their land in a permanent conservation easement.

This is not the only way to do it. A project of his enormity I think would take a national answer. The Driftless Rivers National Park could be that answer. This park will have ramifications in the entire Driftless Region and not just Crawford County, but the adjacent counties of Vernon and Richland and across the Mississippi River - around 400,000 acres. This national effort will bring in national resources to purchase the land to create the park. But, it still will be the choice of any landowner if they want to participate. Wouldn't it be a great feeling for a landowner to know that their land is destined to be a part of a great national park after they are gone!

The land meets all the criteria to become a national park. The Park Service may know this. (Notice Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa) A few years ago, a Park Service employee wanted to sit in on one of our board meetings. I had to tell him we have no board meetings.

This potential park is not the only new park proposal now going on in the Lower 48 states. I know a fellow back East, named Michael Kellett, who has ambitious plans to triple the acreage of national parks in the Lower 48. And, Driftless Rivers is part of his vision.

Creating this park will be an enormous achievement. It will create aa stable economy over a wide area with huge recreation potential = with a non-consumptive use of the resources. If you like the idea, please contact federal and state government officials and let them know. It is their job to listen to the needs of the constituents. But, quite often it will take grassroots support to get them to take action.

If you want more information, order my book, "The Becoming of the Driftless Rivers National Park". It's reasonably priced and some libraries do carry it.

I have been working on this project for over 20 years. I started it none-to-early. It happens quite often that when people first hear of the undertaking they are very enthusiastic about it. But, when they find out I am behind it they run away.

When I started this project, I thought people could separate me from it. That has not always happened. I did some studies about influence and learned that if a person is trying to promote a big idea or action, and they are not likeable, they will only be about a third as effective than someone else more popular. I would ask all of you to try to put your personal feelings about me aside for the greater cause - to help us all to create this great national park.