Land managers at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge conduct a prescribed burn.

A Tribute to Our Public Lands & Their Managers

Jodie Provost is the communications director for the North American Grouse Partnership.

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like
To be without public lands?
To be without the managers that
Care for them with devoted hands?

Can you fathom a world
Without a local WMA
To hunker in a viewing blind,
And watch prairie grouse display?

A place with no shallow lakes
And wild rice for waterfowl,
To paddle the kayak
With canine pal in the bow?

No mowed trails to saunter with sons
With guns at the shoulder,
Or parking lots with tail gates
For sandwiches and coffee when its colder?

No AMAs on cool winding rivers
To access trout with rod and fly,
Or trap wily beavers,
And host wood duck boxes up high?

No State Forest to pursue natives
Like ruffies, bear and deer,
Or Boundary Waters to lose yourself in
When your mind needs to get clear?

An earth without SNA gems
Where secretive yellow rail live,
And no county brushlands
With tasty blueberries to give?

These we cannot imagine.
Gratefulness flows from our hearts,
To those who made and keep public lands,
So all can take part.

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Jodie said she wrote this poem in honor of all of the land managers who work so diligently on behalf of our public lands. “Without these passionate folks, our lands could not reach their full glory.”

For those who aren’t familiar with all of the acronyms, WMA stands for Wildlife Management Area. AMA stands for Aquatic Management Area. SNA stands for Scientific and Natural Area.

We’d love to hear about the public lands you love! If you’re interested in writing a love note, please email us at OurPublicLands@nwf.org for guidelines. If you submit your entry before November 15th, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of two hoodies from Anetik.

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National Wildlife Federation — Our Public Lands
Love Notes To Public Lands

The National Wildlife Federation public lands program advocates for our public lands and waters, wildlife and the right of every American to enjoy them.