For centuries, the American spirit of exploration and discovery has led us to experience the majesty of our Nation's wilderness.  From raging rivers to serene prairies, from mountain peaks slicing the skyline to forests teeming with life, our Nation's landscapes have provided wonder, inspiration, and strength to all Americans.  Many sites continue to hold historical, cultural, and religious significance for Indian tribes, the original stewards of this continent.  We must continue to preserve and protect these scenic places and the life that inhabits them so they may be rediscovered and

AMERICA'S most sparsely populated states were among its more resilient during the recession. Before the downturn, places like Montana and North Dakota poked along with slow growth and greying populations. When the wheels came off the national economy, they began to move up the rankings. They were doing well from commodities, had never known housing bubbles and were not especially vulnerable to the financial sector's troubles. In 2008 Montana's growth rate was the highest in the country.

LAS CRUCES - A report on the economic benefit of wilderness conservation is being touted by one local business group as proof of their claim that federal wilderness areas help bring in revenue, but the leader of another business organization called that claim "overreaching."

They used to meet, it seems, only in court. Now they meet, too, at the bargaining table. They used to issue dueling news releases. Now they pen companion newspaper columns. They used to push competing bills. Now they sign cooperative deals.

In Washington County. In Nine Mile Canyon. Even along the Wasatch Front.

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis is leaving the door open to seek wilderness designation for more lands in the Hidden Gems proposal in the future, but for now he is targeting areas where there is a "broad consensus" for protection.

Polis "hopes" to introduce a wilderness bill this fall, he said in a statement. The lands selected for the bill were determined after Polis and his staff held what he labeled extensive public outreach.

Ask many Central Coast residents about Pinnacles and they would probably answer, "Is that a new restaurant?"

That's because the unique sights, sounds and geologic formations at Pinnacles are not as easily accessible, or as readily recognized, as, say, Yosemite's.

Which might explain why Pinnacles National Monument isn't a huge draw for visitors, who might not realize it's home to the endangered California condor, the largest soaring bird in North America.

True or false?

Conservation of public lands is an economic problem.

Conservation of public lands is a marketing problem.

Think about it. The answer may surprise you.

In recent weeks, many publicly traded outdoor recreation companies reported double-digit earnings in the second quarter. Brands including VF Corp. (The North Face), Timberland, Adidas, Deckers (Teva and Ugg), Cabela's, and Columbia have reported growth in 2010 concurrent to stagnating reports from Wall Street and declining consumer confidence.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity exists with H.R. 5009, the Wasatch Wilderness and Watershed Protection Act of 2010. Passage of this federal legislation would add more than 26,000 acres of wilderness and special management areas to the existing 56,000 acres of wilderness on national forest lands above the Salt Lake Valley.