Comment from Emily Jenkins

I’m writing to oppose any revision to the National Park Service’s wilderness stewardship policy under Director’s Order 41 that would weaken protection for wilderness study areas, lands with wilderness characteristics, or recommended, proposed, and eligible wilderness. There is a song that we grow up singing that puts into words the beauty of this country: "This land is your land, this land is my land. From California to the New York Island. From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters. This land was made for you and me". When I was little, we would road trip throughout the United States to National Parks, Monuments, Forests, and State Parks. We saw so many beautiful and awe-inspiring places. It made me want to be an environmental scientist when I grew up, and I'm proud to say that I made that dream a reality. Removing protections on these lands is a disservice to the history of the United States and our future generations. We have a responsibility to protect these lands and the culture and history they represent. I urge you to protect this space and everything it represents. "What we do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." -Jane Goodall The agency has offered no reasoned justification for reversing decades of settled protection. A change of this magnitude, made without a documented basis and against the clear weight of public objection, would be arbitrary and capricious. I ask that the existing standards be preserved in full, that no revision lower the standard of care for these lands, and that our wild lands continue to be protected as they have been.