BY STEVE MARTIN
Today, over halfway through Grand Canyon National Park’s centennial year, our moment of nostalgia for the last 100 years of the park is passing. The commemorations have reminded us how fortunate we are to have our national parks and a network of public lands. They, along with tribal lands, protect the places and cultures that have shaped our experiences as Americans.
Now is the time to look ahead to the next 100 years of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau. Will our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to discover their own special relationships to this unique landscape? Those of us who have seen the changes and threats brought by the last half-century cannot help but have moments of doubt. But, as I look at where we are in our efforts to protect these lands, I do think there is good news, and great opportunity.
My optimism stems from initiatives at the Grand Canyon Trust over the last year. These include a new strategic plan and the accomplishment of some major conservation goals.
The plan, completed by the board and staff, focuses on our newly updated mission: “To safeguard the wonders of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau, while supporting the rights of its Native peoples.” Having a mission or plan on a shelf, however, will not necessarily lead to success — how it will be accomplished and implemented, and who will do it, are critical. Looking at the work presented
here in the Advocate (for a deeper look, see the Grand Canyon Trust Accountability Report that was mailed out earlier this year) you will find good science, partnership with tribal communities, hard-hitting advocacy, broad collaboration, and effective fundraising.
What is harder to see, but perhaps more important, is who is doing the work. If the plateau is to inspire our grandchildren and their grandchildren, the next generation of conservationists will be the ones doing the work. The face of the Trust is changing to meet this need. New, young, dedicated, creative, and diverse staff are creating positive change and preparing for the long road ahead to preserve the plateau and its resources and people.
Sincerely,
Steve Martin
Board Chair, Grand Canyon Trust
Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, 2007-2011
