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Though our country seems divided on historic levels, certain ideals remain relevant for both sides of the aisle. Perhaps the least-divisive idea in the American consciousness right now is that we live on sacred land, and that land needs protecting.

The National Parks Conservation Association revealed in a 2023 survey that the vast majority of Americans, including 85% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats, believe more must be done to protect wildlife in national parks.

A bipartisan poll of eight western states found that 75% of Americans are opposed to cutting funds for national parks, and 72% prioritized the protection of natural resources over energy development.

Anyone who’s ever visited an American national park or simply passed through one of the vast landscapes in our country understands the awe-inspiring majesty of our nation’s natural beauty.

It’s not controversial to say that the protection of it should be one of the top priorities of all who call our land home.

Syracuse and central New York are close to several major natural landmarks, from Green Lakes State Park to the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario. In addition to local natural resources, the Indigenous groups in our surrounding area stand to be harmed from President Donald Trump’s funding cuts, deregulations and promotion of harmful energy industry practices.

Our government representatives’ actions haven’t been aligned with the will of the American people when it comes to protecting nature. Action to preserve our planet’s well-being should be bipartisan, not politicized.

Yet decades of environmental degradation, undermining of our national parks service and disrespect to Indigenous people have warped our valleys, beaches, mountains and rivers into battlegrounds for politics and corporate interests.

It’s imperative that all Americans, no matter their party affiliations, recognize which side the politicians they support stand on now.

Disturbingly, in his second term, Trump has already expanded military presence in national parks and scaled back regulation of their air quality.

He’s made half of all national forests vulnerable to logging, approved unlawful mining in a national preserve, and made drilling easier in national parks — among a slew of other scalebacks of environmental protections that jeopardize not just the health of our land, but the health of citizens.

To support Trump is to actively contradict any values you may hold about America’s lands. The cognitive dissonance of loving American land and holding America’s natural beauty in high esteem while being an active supporter of Trump must be denounced.

Supporting the current administration cannot coexist with supporting the natural world. They’re mutually exclusive. That’s not to say Trump’s opponents have been perfect on this issue, though. Historically, Democrats have demonstrated a better aptitude for conservationist policies, but one of the main problems with the party is its lack of consistency on environmental issues.

The trouble of politics is there is no one perfect option on any given issue. This is especially frustrating when considering something as precious as our nation’s land. This doesn’t feel like a topic we should have to debate or make compromises over.

It’s mystifying, at first, how something as innocent as nature could be corrupted by the cutthroat policies of Washington. Naturally, the answer has much to do with money.

Though environmental protection measures have grown in popularity over the last century and a half of American public policy, much of the early resistance to it was often either backed by or for the advancement of the progress of industry.

The issue spans all the way from the establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park, when there was opposition to it based on business interests, all the way to today — where the recently appointed head of the EPA talks of “revitalizing industry” over environmental protections.

Lily Zuckerman | Design Editor

America deserves better, and every park, forest, sanctuary, preserve and arboretum in this country depends on knowing where its citizens stand. On paper, it’s something we all agree on. The safekeeping of our soil is an issue for all Americans. We can’t be passive about it.

It’s not enough for one to simply love nature; it’s not enough to retreat into it and it’s not enough to simply know about it. To love nature in America now requires political participation because without our advocacy, it’s under grave threat.

There’s no perfect remedy for all that ails our land and there’s no hero who can stop those seeking to plunder our natural resources for material gain. But there are things we, as members of Generation Z and members of Syracuse University’s community, can and must do to truly care for the outdoor spaces of our nation.

This fight is integral even for students who haven’t seen much of the country. Environmental deregulation inflicts noticeable material damage on upstate New York, with the Finger Lakes reaching record levels of toxicity as of 2024. Green Lakes State Park, which receives federal funding, could be affected by Trump’s funding cuts.

Support candidates who are in favor of stricter environmental protection and actively pursue security for our parks. This fight is bigger than the individual — it’s one we must all unite for.

Ben Newman is a freshman at Syracuse University. His column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at ibnewman@syr.edu.

Published on April 14, 2025 at 11:09 pm