I do not imply that this philosophy of land was always clear to me. It is rather the end result of a life journey.

Is it possible to preserve the element of Unknown Places in our national life? Is it practicable to do so, without undue loss in economic values? I say 'yes' to both questions. But we must act vigorously and quickly, before the remaining bits of wilderness have disappeared.

The oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it.

A river or stream is a cycle of energy from sun to plants to insects to fish. It is a continuum broken only by humans.

A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.

A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke [of the axe] he is writing his signature on the face of his land.

Man always kills the thing he loves, and so we the pioneers have killed our wilderness. Some say we had to. Be that as it may, I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?