TIME FOR OTHERS TO FOCUS ON THE FACTS AND TRUTH ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD!
I retired 30 years ago, after a 34-year career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Following 14 different assignments throughout the United States, I completed my career as Forest Supervisor of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwestern Wyoming. Experiences and observations during my assignments, left me with many concerns about the science of forestry. Throughout my career, I was constantly challenged between the Agency’s principles of Wise Use and individuals and groups that supported the concept of Preservation. I developed strong concerns with the Agency’s focus on what we could take from the forests, rather than the important role forested lands play in sustaining life on planet Earth. Retirement provided the opportunity to retrieve, review and analyze the numerous experiences, observations and concerns developed throughout the wide variety of assignments. I was compelled to re-evaluate what I had observed and search for a deeper understanding of the many questions I had been left with.
My degree from the University of Minnesota, School of Forestry, had followed the basic principles of forest science defined by Gifford Pinchot back in the 1890’s, growing trees as crops. This definition pretty well summed up the Agency’s goals, as I saw them during my career from 1960 to 1994. The Agency’s major goal was providing a sustainable flow of wood products to support timber industries located in communities close to National Forest System lands. At the Ranger District level, if you failed to meet your assigned timber targets, you could expect a visit from the Regional Forester’s Office. My overall assessment of the science of forestry, was a focus on, “the resources we can take from the forests”, not what was needed to sustain the vital life supporting elements provided only by healthy diverse forested lands, a major part of the natural world.
Retirement was a major change in my life and provided time to re-evaluate my 34-year commitment to the management of our public forested lands. The year after retirement, my wife became a registered member of the Cherokee Nation, based on her grandmother’s ancestry. This triggered a desire to learn more about the Native culture, particularly their relationship with Nature. I began searching for literature by authors that had a deep appreciation for Nature and the Natural World. I started with Ed MaGaw, a Lakota Sioux attorney, who has written several books on Native culture and Nature’s Way. I found, Jerid Diamond, who had studied and published his work on ancient cultures that had collapsed and failed on Earth. One of my favorite authors was Father Thomas Berry. After reading several of his books and essays, where he shared his in-depth knowledge of various world cultures and their religious beliefs, my understanding of the natural world was expanded and intensified. These are just a few of the people that enriched my understanding and appreciation for the story of Creation and the necessity of the Natural World in sustaining life on our planet. Understanding the Natural World is not complete until you delve into the complexity of the Biblical story of Creation.
Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible, only scratches the surface of the creation story. There are scientists who claim there is still a missing link in proving intelligent design in the creation story. My studies of the Natural World, led me to the recognition of three significant elements that were obviously designed into Creation. The first, which is fully understood by our Native people, is that every organism on our planet serves some small purpose in the sustenance of life on Earth. “NOTHING IS ITS SELF WITHOUT ALL THE REST”. We have discovered about ten million different species on Earth and continue to find thousands of new species annually. Science suggests there may be as many as forty million more species yet to be discovered. One can hardly imagine the magnitude of the diversity of species that were designed into life on Planet Earth.
Deeper analysis revealed that diversity, which was designed into creation, was critical in the sustenance of life. Close observation of the natural world reveals the fact that, “THE EXTENT OF DIVERSITY IS THE MEASURE OF PERFECTION”. Earth is an amalgamation of ecosystems which demand diversity to maintain balance and to function properly. Ecosystems are similar to communities, where a diversity of species co-exist working together to support life within the unit. A multiplicity of diversity exists within all ecosystems. It takes many hands to sustain balance and life within each ecosystem! This is true if you are analyzing a human community or a natural wild ecosystem.
The third element designed into creation is the cycling of rebirth that occurs annually in the changing of seasons. Each year begins with the green season when restoration and rebirth of life begins again. We then move through the yellow, summer season of growth, followed by the red fall season of abundance and harvest. Finally, the winter white season, cleanses the Earth and prepares for the next cycle of life. I believe these three unique elements are the missing link that confirms intelligent design for the story of Creation. I have no idea how the Universes, the Heavens and the Earth were created, but one cannot deny the complex elements that were designed into the creation which supports life on Our planet.
This is why I have been driven to spent the past 15 years attempting to help reveal the importance and complexity of our Natural World. Trees are simply a part of that natural world, but a critical component with eighty percent of all living organisms depending upon them for the sustenance of life. My findings and concerns have been expressed in the publication of three books and the publication of over one hundred blogs on my website, face book and Linkedin. I am not a well-known educator, politician, corporate executive or celebrity, but a dedicated forest scientist attempting to present the facts about the deterioration occurring within our Natural Word and the critical relationship we share with that world. I am grateful for the following I have received on my website and Linkedin, however book sales have been disappointing. The books are available on Amazon Book Store. I have developed some excellent contacts with very knowledgeable Native American scientists and authors, national scientists and key contacts in foreign countries. There is much to be done in managing the Natural World and Earth’s ecosystems. We have lost nearly three-quarters of Earth’s original forest cover, and deforestation continues at an unacceptable rate. The carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere are currently at the highest level recorded in the past 800,000 years. Our ocean waters are rising and warming as we continue to pollute our fresh and salt water sources. Catastrophic storms have increased in frequency and intensity. One study in Spain suggests only 3 per cent of Earth’s ecosystems are in balance and properly functioning. The facts are obvious, yet many continue to spread miss-information and actual lies about the natural worlds current condition!
In the United States of America, we enjoy prosperity beyond any other Nation on the planet. We reached this position, not on the shoulders of the wealthy, but the consumption of goods and services by a large, reasonably affluent, middle class. It is the consumption of the average American citizen that boosted The United States of American into world leadership and created the wealthiest Nation on Earth. The wealthy one percent, became rich due to the demand for goods and services by the American middle-class. After 248 years, these facts are being challenged. The middle class is shrinking and the distribution of wealth is widening. This is not a positive sign and will accelerate the destruction of the vital Natural world. Unfortunately, the world’s population remains predominately, unaware of current conditions and the future impacts it will have on human life!
I can only hope I have reached a few individuals that appreciate where we are today and what must change as we plan for a desirable future. After a 34-year career and 30 years of retirement, I feel I have exhausted my thoughts and suggestions, and need others to continue the focus on the importance of our relationship with the Nature World. The responsibility to focus the World on the importance and current status of the Natural World remains, and hopefully others will run with the goal of proper management for the future! A good start would be to introduce ecological principles into the public schools, even at the elementary level; and emphasizing the understanding of creation and life, as much as we emphasize redemption of the individual in our religious institutions! Facts, truth and education can provide the path to a desired future! The future will be determined by how we manage, what remains of our Natural World! Our demand for resources will continue to grow as our world population expands by about seventy-five million people annually. The shrinking and polluting of our Natural World must stop! Alerting the world population is essential! Changing the current life styles must come from the ground up! Because of the economic consequences, leadership is either unaware or unwilling to accept the challenges!! Unfortunately, much of the progress we have made will be reversed over the next four years, as regulations are changed and eliminated in the name of progress.
I have appreciated the support and encouragement I have received over the years. Linkedin has provide the opportunity to communicate globally, and provided a large list of contacts across the world. In the future, I may occasionally find it necessary to express my thoughts and concerns, but not on a regular basis. I hope many will find opportunities to alert people of the facts and truths which will lead to a desirable future for mankind! I can assure you government officials will never provide the required leadership to prolong human life on this magical planet! Please force the door of truth wide open for all to see!!
Returning to Nature’s Way
Brian E. Stout
I retired 30 years ago, after a 34-year career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Following 14 different assignments throughout the United States, I completed my career as Forest Supervisor of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwestern Wyoming. Experiences and observations during my assignments, left me with many concerns about the science of forestry. Throughout my career, I was constantly challenged between the Agency’s principles of Wise Use and individuals and groups that supported the concept of Preservation. I developed strong concerns with the Agency’s focus on what we could take from the forests, rather than the important role forested lands play in sustaining life on planet Earth. Retirement provided the opportunity to retrieve, review and analyze the numerous experiences, observations and concerns developed throughout the wide variety of assignments. I was compelled to re-evaluate what I had observed and search for a deeper understanding of the many questions I had been left with.
My degree from the University of Minnesota, School of Forestry, had followed the basic principles of forest science defined by Gifford Pinchot back in the 1890’s, growing trees as crops. This definition pretty well summed up the Agency’s goals, as I saw them during my career from 1960 to 1994. The Agency’s major goal was providing a sustainable flow of wood products to support timber industries located in communities close to National Forest System lands. At the Ranger District level, if you failed to meet your assigned timber targets, you could expect a visit from the Regional Forester’s Office. My overall assessment of the science of forestry, was a focus on, “the resources we can take from the forests”, not what was needed to sustain the vital life supporting elements provided only by healthy diverse forested lands, a major part of the natural world.
Retirement was a major change in my life and provided time to re-evaluate my 34-year commitment to the management of our public forested lands. The year after retirement, my wife became a registered member of the Cherokee Nation, based on her grandmother’s ancestry. This triggered a desire to learn more about the Native culture, particularly their relationship with Nature. I began searching for literature by authors that had a deep appreciation for Nature and the Natural World. I started with Ed MaGaw, a Lakota Sioux attorney, who has written several books on Native culture and Nature’s Way. I found, Jerid Diamond, who had studied and published his work on ancient cultures that had collapsed and failed on Earth. One of my favorite authors was Father Thomas Berry. After reading several of his books and essays, where he shared his in-depth knowledge of various world cultures and their religious beliefs, my understanding of the natural world was expanded and intensified. These are just a few of the people that enriched my understanding and appreciation for the story of Creation and the necessity of the Natural World in sustaining life on our planet. Understanding the Natural World is not complete until you delve into the complexity of the Biblical story of Creation.
Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible, only scratches the surface of the creation story. There are scientists who claim there is still a missing link in proving intelligent design in the creation story. My studies of the Natural World, led me to the recognition of three significant elements that were obviously designed into Creation. The first, which is fully understood by our Native people, is that every organism on our planet serves some small purpose in the sustenance of life on Earth. “NOTHING IS ITS SELF WITHOUT ALL THE REST”. We have discovered about ten million different species on Earth and continue to find thousands of new species annually. Science suggests there may be as many as forty million more species yet to be discovered. One can hardly imagine the magnitude of the diversity of species that were designed into life on Planet Earth.
Deeper analysis revealed that diversity, which was designed into creation, was critical in the sustenance of life. Close observation of the natural world reveals the fact that, “THE EXTENT OF DIVERSITY IS THE MEASURE OF PERFECTION”. Earth is an amalgamation of ecosystems which demand diversity to maintain balance and to function properly. Ecosystems are similar to communities, where a diversity of species co-exist working together to support life within the unit. A multiplicity of diversity exists within all ecosystems. It takes many hands to sustain balance and life within each ecosystem! This is true if you are analyzing a human community or a natural wild ecosystem.
The third element designed into creation is the cycling of rebirth that occurs annually in the changing of seasons. Each year begins with the green season when restoration and rebirth of life begins again. We then move through the yellow, summer season of growth, followed by the red fall season of abundance and harvest. Finally, the winter white season, cleanses the Earth and prepares for the next cycle of life. I believe these three unique elements are the missing link that confirms intelligent design for the story of Creation. I have no idea how the Universes, the Heavens and the Earth were created, but one cannot deny the complex elements that were designed into the creation which supports life on Our planet.
This is why I have been driven to spent the past 15 years attempting to help reveal the importance and complexity of our Natural World. Trees are simply a part of that natural world, but a critical component with eighty percent of all living organisms depending upon them for the sustenance of life. My findings and concerns have been expressed in the publication of three books and the publication of over one hundred blogs on my website, face book and Linkedin. I am not a well-known educator, politician, corporate executive or celebrity, but a dedicated forest scientist attempting to present the facts about the deterioration occurring within our Natural Word and the critical relationship we share with that world. I am grateful for the following I have received on my website and Linkedin, however book sales have been disappointing. The books are available on Amazon Book Store. I have developed some excellent contacts with very knowledgeable Native American scientists and authors, national scientists and key contacts in foreign countries. There is much to be done in managing the Natural World and Earth’s ecosystems. We have lost nearly three-quarters of Earth’s original forest cover, and deforestation continues at an unacceptable rate. The carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere are currently at the highest level recorded in the past 800,000 years. Our ocean waters are rising and warming as we continue to pollute our fresh and salt water sources. Catastrophic storms have increased in frequency and intensity. One study in Spain suggests only 3 per cent of Earth’s ecosystems are in balance and properly functioning. The facts are obvious, yet many continue to spread miss-information and actual lies about the natural worlds current condition!
In the United States of America, we enjoy prosperity beyond any other Nation on the planet. We reached this position, not on the shoulders of the wealthy, but the consumption of goods and services by a large, reasonably affluent, middle class. It is the consumption of the average American citizen that boosted The United States of American into world leadership and created the wealthiest Nation on Earth. The wealthy one percent, became rich due to the demand for goods and services by the American middle-class. After 248 years, these facts are being challenged. The middle class is shrinking and the distribution of wealth is widening. This is not a positive sign and will accelerate the destruction of the vital Natural world. Unfortunately, the world’s population remains predominately, unaware of current conditions and the future impacts it will have on human life!
I can only hope I have reached a few individuals that appreciate where we are today and what must change as we plan for a desirable future. After a 34-year career and 30 years of retirement, I feel I have exhausted my thoughts and suggestions, and need others to continue the focus on the importance of our relationship with the Nature World. The responsibility to focus the World on the importance and current status of the Natural World remains, and hopefully others will run with the goal of proper management for the future! A good start would be to introduce ecological principles into the public schools, even at the elementary level; and emphasizing the understanding of creation and life, as much as we emphasize redemption of the individual in our religious institutions! Facts, truth and education can provide the path to a desired future! The future will be determined by how we manage, what remains of our Natural World! Our demand for resources will continue to grow as our world population expands by about seventy-five million people annually. The shrinking and polluting of our Natural World must stop! Alerting the world population is essential! Changing the current life styles must come from the ground up! Because of the economic consequences, leadership is either unaware or unwilling to accept the challenges!! Unfortunately, much of the progress we have made will be reversed over the next four years, as regulations are changed and eliminated in the name of progress.
I have appreciated the support and encouragement I have received over the years. Linkedin has provide the opportunity to communicate globally, and provided a large list of contacts across the world. In the future, I may occasionally find it necessary to express my thoughts and concerns, but not on a regular basis. I hope many will find opportunities to alert people of the facts and truths which will lead to a desirable future for mankind! I can assure you government officials will never provide the required leadership to prolong human life on this magical planet! Please force the door of truth wide open for all to see!!
Returning to Nature’s Way
Brian E. Stout
