Establishing a Precedent

Dear Governor Cuomo,

I’m writing to you in regards to the Boreas Ponds acquisition. First, I would like to thank you for purchasing this land and for your continued support of the Adirondacks. Your decision to promote land conservation establishes an important precedent for the people of New York and the rest of the United States. While I know designating the Boreas Ponds as a Wild Forest would promote certain economic interests, I encourage you to protect the Boreas Ponds as a Wilderness area to assert the intrinsic value of nature.

It’s strange that an area once established as a logging reserve should now be conserved because it is undisturbed, but doing so conveys an important message. I’m beginning to see that, for the most part, we see nature as our resource to exploit. We level mountains for coal and leak oil into our oceans without second thought. Our anthropocentric views and actions have undoubtedly led us to our current climate crisis, which already poses grave consequences for generations to come. Designating the Boreas Ponds as Wilderness will reject this anthropocentric mindset in favor of ecological preservation.

Wild Forests may economically benefit certain industries, but so will Wilderness areas. By excluding motorized vehicles, Wilderness areas in the Adirondacks protect ecosystems from unnecessary damage without sacrificing tourism. The Wilderness areas reach an audience that respects undisturbed forest, an audience that would be lost if the land were a Wild Forest. The designation of the Boreas Ponds should be based on the morality of ecological preservation, and the economic benefits only result from this moral choice.

As the Governor of New York, you are in a unique ethical position to protect the Boreas Ponds to the fullest extent possible. You can demonstrate that respecting the intrinsic value of nature is a priority without reductions in tourism. You’ve already expanded the park, and now you have the opportunity to protect this land even further by designating the Boreas Ponds as Wilderness.

Sincerely,
Jack Wright