Editorial printed in the Desert News:

I am a United States veteran. I pledged to give my life for this country's policies and for its land. I feel as a veteran I have an obligation to do what I can to safeguard our public lands.

Having served in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, I saw firsthand destruction of the environment at the hands of men.

Having served as a scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America, I firmly believe in the Boy Scouts adherence to the philosophies of being good stewards of the Earth and leaving a place better than we found it.

Presently, thousands of Utah's sons and daughters are serving our country overseas, soon to be joined by our own 222nd Artillery. As I did during my time of service, they are thinking of home. They are thinking of the families, friends and landscapes they will return home to one day, from the beauty of the San Rafael Swell, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Cedar Mountain, to Arches and the red rocks of Moab, and every acre in between. These are lands that are worth fighting for. We have a duty to do make sure the land that fills their memories is here when they come home.

Read more: Be responsible stewards of the land

Published by the CA Public News Service:

As the nation celebrates Memorial Day, California veterans are calling on Congress to approve greater protections for the public lands they served to protect while fighting for their country overseas. U.S. Marine Corps vet Rick Reyes served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he's back home now, fighting for the protection of public lands that are essentially in his own backyard. 

Reyes says the San Gabriel Mountains provide a sense of tranquility, which is much needed after the physical and mental stresses of war.

"We've all made sacrifices - whether it be our time away from our families or away from our lives. When we think of the lands that we served to protect, it's the wilderness and the open space that Southern California has to offer."

Read more: Veterans Call For Preservation of Public Lands They Served to Protect

Printed in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune:

Memorial Day is a time of reflection for those of us who have worn the uniform. As a Marine I have witnessed the horror of modern warfare. As I reflect now on my time in Afghanistan I frequently remember the things I would do to relieve the anxiety of those difficult days. One way of escape was to reflect on my homeland of Southern California and the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains.

The San Gabriel Mountains are the backdrop for our beautiful region. They are also a treasure to the veterans of Southern California and our nation. From the heights of Mount San Antonio to the splendor of Telegraph Peak, this land provides serenity not only in its physical presence but also through its spiritual landscape and splendor. Imagery that is forever ingrained in the memories of those that have visited these beautiful mountains.

Millions of visitors frequent these beautiful mountains each year. Many of these visitors are veterans like myself. For those of us returning from the war zone, scenic wonders such as this have a very therapeutic and healing aspect. Readjustment to civilian life can be challenging and areas such as these can help our community of veterans to find balance and peace.

Ironically, the old saying that you don't know what you've got until it's gone is very true. I did not fully come to appreciate the beauty of the San Gabriels until I had lost them.

Read more: Guest View: A vet's argument for preserving San Gabriels

Here is an editorial from Vitali Mostovoj, who is a Veteran, that was published in the Ventura County Star:

I am a veteran who is deeply concerned about threats to our public lands. I served our country for 25 years as an Air Force officer. Now I am joining another fight - the fight against Congressman Kevin McCarthy's ill-conceived legislation that seeks to give millions of acres of America's lands to the highest bidder.

Retired Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson, an advocate of responsible conservation and energy policies, stated after a trip to the Mojave Desert that he was "reminded of the beauty and glory of the desert. Millions of Americans visit public lands like this each year. It disturbs me deeply that these beautiful lands, America's treasure, could potentially be harmed by speculative operations such as drilling and mining. Protection of our public lands is patriotic and the right thing to do. Congress needs to understand that once we have lost them, they are gone forever."

Congressman McCarthy's bill, H.R. 1581, the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011, would be the beginning of the end for America's public lands. If this legislation passes they will be gone forever.

The bill would release more than 43 million acres for "multiple uses" and "responsible resource development." This is simply code to allow the land to be opened for oil and gas drilling. This is unacceptable.

The bill would also terminate Secretarial Order 3310, meaning that the land would never again be allowed to fall under any restriction or protective status. The bill would burden local communities with an unfunded mandate by turning management responsibilities over to their governments.

Congressman McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, is acting against the principles of the Republican Party. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who launched our national park system, which millions of Americans enjoy today.

Read more: Mostovoj: Wilderness lands under threat as never before

from the San Bernardino Sun:

Saving desert lands helps veterans

Jonathan Ervin

Posted: 05/30/2010 06:30:36 PM PDT

The war zone is a battleground of victory or defeat, life and death. But it is also a time when you are tested by loneliness and a desire to return home.
While we were deployed we dreamed of returning back to our homes near the California desert. This is a peaceful and tranquil place. Its vastness calmed the soul.

The California desert was also the perfect antidote to the stresses - both physical and mental - of war. We could take long drives out into remote areas, and hunt or hike without seeing another soul.

Maybe that's why it seems fitting that this Memorial Day, veterans like us can do something to help other veterans - and help current military personnel who are on active duty.

We can make sure that California's wild desert lands are protected for them to enjoy and to help them readjust back to civilian life. For many vets, the best way to acclimate to life after military service was to take those peaceful drives and walks into the desert.

In honor of our military brothers and sisters, we can write our local congressional representatives to support Sen. Dianne Feinstein's California Desert Protection Act of 2010. This legislation is a unique chance to preserve our desert, give a boost to our local tourism and make sure that renewable energy is done responsibly.

You often don't appreciate something like the Mojave Desert, until you are far from it. That's what happened to us while we were deployed in Iraq. We had taken

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for granted the simple joy of being able to go out into this incredible place and enjoy its panoramic dawns and sunsets, and feel those powerful desert winds blowing across our faces.
For us desert denizens who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq, it was eerie to be deployed in another desert, on the other side of the world, thousands of miles from our loved ones. From the sand dunes of Iraq and Kuwait, to the high desert plateaus of Afghanistan - these places made us reminisce about our own California desert back home - yet we knew weren't anywhere close to home.

Today as veterans, we often remember what it was like to be on the front lines, when thoughts of returning safe to the States are what kept our spirits up. Our morale was boosted when we focused on what really matters most in this world: home and family.

We dreamed of the day when we could relax with our families and buddies out in our own desert.

If we protect the California desert now, we can help our current service men and women who are dreaming about the day when they can come home. Let's keep their desert dreams alive.

Jonathan Ervin is a member of the Vet Voice Foundation, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit 501(c)3 that is working to educate and mobilize veterans in Southern California on the importance of protecting their desert homeland. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom where he served in the U.S. Air Force; during the initial invasion of Iraq he served in a military intelligence unit that provided support for combat air operations in the theater. He lives with his family in Lancaster.

Article from the Public News Service website about Veterans who are getting involved to protect dessert lands.

Veterans Join Forces Memorial Day To Protect California Desert Lands, May 28, 2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - As we celebrate Memorial Day, California veterans are joining forces to protect desert lands. They say the wild desert provides a sense of tranquility, much needed after the physical and mental stresses of war. 

David Raley, a retired Air Force colonel who spent 26 years in the military, is joining other vets to call on Congress to support Sen. Dianne Feinstein's California Desert Protection Act of 2010.

"Veterans, by their very nature, lean more to being outdoors-people. So, they want to have the opportunity to hunt and fish and off-road and enjoy the wilderness and I'd like to make sure that the veterans that follow me have that opportunity."

Ray Quinto spent 36 years in the military, including fighting in the Vietnam war. He says the Southern California desert covered under the bill is already being squeezed by two large metropolitan areas: Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

"Although I agree that we have to have progress, I think that we ought to preserve pristine areas, which is what the bill provides for."

Sen. Feinstein's proposed legislation would preserve nearly 1.5 million acres of Southern California Desert, create two new national monuments and expand Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve. The bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Some lawmakers have questioned a part of the bill that deals with the placement of renewable energy plants on public lands. Sen. Feinstein says her bill provides a careful balance between conserving the desert and creating renewable energy development.

More information is available at www.californiadesert.org.

Lori Abbott, Public News Service - CA

Check out this Letter to the Editor in the Yucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror from Council member Ray Quinto.

Quinto supports new desert act

As a Vietnam veteran I understand the importance of defending the land I love. Currently I am again standing up for my country along with other veterans, only this time the land we are defending is our home, the majestic California desert. This month a website was launched, www.landswelove.org.

The goal of the website and this campaign is to educate and mobilize veterans, their families, and concerned citizens alike to the choices that must be made now to ensure that the beauty of our homestead remains unblemished.

Senator Diane Feinstein has proposed the California Desert Protection Act of 2010, which   will ensure that our cultural heritage is protected. It will also foster the growth of renewable energy jobs in the region and ensure that the lifeblood of our region’s economy and tourism, continues to thrive as Americans from all over our great nation continue to experience the marvels of our homeland.

As a veteran I encourage all fellow veterans to join in this endeavor. We are all stewards of this great land and supporting this legislation will guarantee that our children and grandchildren will continue to harvest the beauty and economic growth that our land has allowed us. My name is Ray Richard Quinto, a 36-year officer in the United States Navy (1956-1997). I served in various capacities including tour of duty in Vietnam. I am a serving member of the City Council in Calimesa.

Ray R. Quinto

Calimesa