AND WE’RE UNDER ATTACK

helping protect and manage the natural resources of both public and private lands and waters.

It seems a huge segment of self-proclaimed nature and wildlife lovers would rather see a deer or elk die of starvation and/or disease than be humanely taken by a sportsman or indigenous person to feed a family and help protect the population and its habitat. Nothing points up the difference between a common sense conservationist and a misguided tree hugger more than this.

In fact, a fishing buddy of mine, during a discussion once about public lands, half-jokingly referred to me as a tree hugger, upon which I not-half-jokingly mentioned that he could call me Bozo the Clown if he wanted, and I’d just keep on helping make sure he had fish to fish for, places to hunt and clean water for his kids to drink. And if he ever took his head out of his—‘er, I mean, out of the sand long enough to get himself informed, like a “real sportsman,” maybe he could even help himself a little.

Speaking of tree huggers—as a lifelong conservationist and sportsman, I’m not at all impressed with pontificating, preaching or protesting by people that are willfully ignorant of the deeper connection most hunters and anglers have with the environment than many of them have themselves. But, I am inspired when I witness a radical antihunter get schooled by a hunter or angler about the Pittman-Robertson or Dingell-Johnson Acts and real-world conservation. It can be an entertaining, deer-in-the-headlights moment.

The takeaway here? Man and nature are deeply connected and interdependent—but willful ignorance, fed by political and social disinformation and dishonesty is toxic and destructive to that relationship. It causes mass disengagement from the critical work of solving our serious local, national and global problems. It is the common enemy of us all, and it’s on the march.

It’s clear these days there are plenty of heads stuck deeply and defiantly in the sand. But if more people tried lifting them up and opening their minds, eyes and ears to sources of information other than dishonest politicians, conspiracy peddlers, lyin’ ratings seekers and online @#%t spreaders, maybe they’d begin to understand and acknowledge that actually, we’re all standing on the same sand. Sometimes we call it common ground.

David Arthur Ramsey is an outdoor photographer, writer and conservationist, born and raised in the mountains of northeastern Tennessee. His outdoor writing and photography have been published locally, regionally and nationally and are most often associated with work to preserve and protect threatened lands and waters throughout the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Field and Stream Magazine and Toyota Motor Company named David the National Hero of Conservation in 2011 for his leadership in saving the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed in northeastern Tennessee. His newly published book, Rocky Fork: Hidden Jewel of the Blue Ridge Wild, tells the story, through his rich photography and his first-hand account, of the more than decade-long battle to preserve this Appalachian and American treasure.