Nature as Common Ground

I have always loved fishing piers and public shore access. As an avid angler, I think it’s great to have a special place designated for anyone to get to the water. There’s also something about shore fishing culture that transcends typical norms and boundaries. People from such vastly different backgrounds come together around something we all have in common and there is a spirit of camaraderie and shared value even if we are not speaking the same language. One person catches a fish and others cheer. It’s universal.

It’s unfortunate that the political discourse around environmental issues seems to have lost that thread of common understanding and shared value. As a native Rhode Islander, I have found that almost all people in this state, regardless of political affiliation or background, understand the importance of nature to our lives here. This is the Ocean State, and the tidal waters, Narragansett Bay, and its rivers and surrounding lands are central to our identity and represent the best of Rhode Island.

The environment is not a special interest. It is a common interest. The environment is not at odds with the economy. It is, in large part, the foundation of our economy in Rhode Island. And love of land, water and place is not a radical liberal notion. These are conservative values, they are democratic values and they are American values.

The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest conservation organization with chapters serving each of the 50 states and nearly 70 countries around the world. Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. We are non-partisan, non-confrontational and science-based in our approach. We favor partnerships as well as practical and solution-oriented approaches to protecting nature, and we are committed to tangible and lasting results.

We must not view the environment as a partisan issue. Conservation has deep support in all states. The Nature Conservancy’s members and supporters across the country span the political spectrum and all share a passion for the outdoors. People of all kinds and backgrounds love to hike, fish, hunt, birdwatch, swim, ride, paddle and more. This was evident on election day last November when, across the country, voters overwhelmingly passed ballot measures worth $4.4 billion for conservation.

Here in Rhode Island on election day, voters convincingly passed the green economy bond for clean water, open space and healthy communities. This was not surprising as Rhode Island has a long and proud history of support for all conservation ballot measures. That’s because we understand that an investment in our natural assets pays us all back with real, tangible benefits like the ability to enjoy world-class outdoor recreational opportunities so close to home.

That brings me back to Providence. As a kid growing up here, the rivers that ran through downtown were paved over, and where they entered the harbor, it stank. They were horribly polluted. No one imagined that anyone would ever want to sail and fish and kayak in them.

Today, the Providence River is the cleanest it has been in seven generations, thanks to the vision, foresight and hard work of so many people and organizations. I now get to go out on the water 2 miles from my house and catch trophy-sized striped bass with my Dad, who’s 84 now, and my wife and kids. It’s hard to put a value on that.

The debate going forward should not be whether we ought to protect and restore the environment, but rather how. We can all find common ground in nature.