Reflecting the Muir image.

More than a century has passed since the birth of what we now consider the "conservation movement" led by famous naturalist John Muir. Resource management such as timber and land conservation was as timely then as it is now, and the successful avenues for resolving conflicts are still relevant. We could learn a lot from the inheritance Muir left behind--a balanced approach to finding answers to tough challenges.

Father of Yosemite, savior of the Sequoias, explorer, writer and pioneering ecologist, John Muir was nature's full-time lobbyist. He solicited help from the nation's top leaders in his quest to conserve wilderness lands for future generations. But, as he mounted his crusades, he did so with a litany of evidence. He led change in the same manner he studied glaciers: methodically. This meant studying every nook and cranny, every crack. His arguments were based on stable ground and always followed by solutions that built unity and formed compromises. This is vital to being a pragmatic conservationist, not just an idealistic environmentalist.

It was this ecological logic that formed trust between Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1903, while on a private camping trip in Yosemite, Muir helped convince the President to form a national park system and adopt other economically sensible conservation steps. During the following six years of his presidency, Mn Roosevelt set aside 148,000,000 acres of forest reserves, established 16 national monuments and doubled the number of national parks.

Muir didn't pursue preservation for preservation's sake. For instance, he once argued that the Sequoias created a natural watershed for urban use. President Roosevelt appreciated such reasoning. As the President once said, "No country can long endure if its foundations are not laid deep in the material prosperity which grows from thrift, business energy and enterprise."

There are many parallels between Muir's legacy and the history of the California Department of Conservation. About the time Yosemite's unprotected raw beauty was drawing Muir's interest, the glitter of gold was luring miners to California and serving as a catalyst for the formation of the State Mining Bureau, the department's predecessor. While Muir was mapping the paths of ancient glaciers that formed Yosemite, early state legislators were laying the cornerstone for the Department of Conservation. Both endeavors responded to a need to safeguard California's natural resources and create logical approaches to conservation--balancing environmental protection with economic stability.

Muir understood that saving Yosemite meant exposing it to the public and turning it into a tourist attraction-one that would attract millions and bring financial gain to the area. One year he even forfeited his usual home under the stars to manage a Yosemite lodge. The Department of Conservation carries on Muir's tradition and vision of developing new approaches to conserving California's land, energy and minerals. And through restoring the heritage of Muir, the department hopes to pass along Muir's passion for conservation by educating Californians about the legacy he left behind.

Is there an ebb and tide to the conservation of natural resources? Perhaps there was a forgotten era--somewhere between Muir's rescue of Yosemite and America's new wake-up call to environmental concerns marked by diminishing resources and a glut of solid waste. It is time to bring Muir's poetic truth back to life, for there is no one else who more eloquently writes about the vital connection between humans and nature, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."

California, through the Department of Conservation, is putting a modern twist on Muir's attempts to manage natural resources. We are trying to find ways in which commerce and culture can coexist with conservation in ways that do minimal harm to our precious ecosystems. Indeed, evidence shows that ecological responsibility and economic growth cannot only coexist, but each can play a key role in the other's success.

Muir would applaud the notion that conservation should be seen not as an inhibitor to growth, but rather a stimulus for efficiency. Governmental and corporate environmental responsibility is becoming more and more a "good will" avenue to doing well. When companies reduce waste and maximize efficiency, they can't help but be more competitive and increase their return on investments. Muir would smile if he heard the latest surveys that show 70 percent of Californians describe themselves as environmentalists, and certainly applaud government for supporting private/public partnerships that are not only solving environmental dilemmas, but creating jobs as well.

To achieve these goals, we must find creative ways to reinvest capital in conservation, reinventing government to become a proactive advocate of environmental technology, or "green tech." Over the long term, the teamwork and commitment needed to do this will conserve the environment, save tax dollars and create jobs. For instance, the recycling industry in California is already credited with giving rise to more than 5,000 jobs in just the past few years.

The California Department of Conservation is now moving beyond recycling and focusing on "dosing the loop" by encouraging consumers to purchase products made from recycled material, which will create new markets for recycled-content products and ultimately lead to a higher demand for recycled material--and thus more jobs. This innovative approach to merging environmental protection with economic development would certainly appeal to Muir, an entrepreneur by profession.

An example of this type of economically-positive environmentalism is the Department of Conservation's new California Market Watch program. Market Watch locates companies buying or selling recycled material. The free program acts like a computerized match-making service, pairing manufacturers and suppliers to create recycled-material networks that save resources and reduce landfill space. Recycling rates are high in California. More than eight out often beverage containers sold are recycled. The next step is to develop new markets for the material. Market Watch proves what is good for the environment can also be good for the economy.

Consistent with Muir's interest in promoting the economics of conservation, the Department hosted its first annual Conservation Fair on Earth Day this year (which also marks Muir's birthday). The theme was "Reflecting the Muir Image," part of the state's desire to resurrect Muir's conservation ethic. At the event, Muir's great-grandson, Bill Hanna, said he is certain, if alive today, Muir would be a big supporter of the state's new credo: Recycle, reduce, reuse and "close the loop" by buying products made from recycled material. The three Rs conservation catchphrase we are trying so reverently to instill in our generation was something Muir practiced and promoted 100 years ago, said Hanna.

Muir's influence is still felt in California. The Department of Conservation was proud to sponsor the John Muir Nature Trail at John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez. The trail winds to the top of Mt. Wanda following the footsteps he quite often took in the evenings near his home with his daughters, Wanda and Helen. For the first time, the path makes the mountain accessible to anyone who wishes to study Muir's past and enjoy dramatic views of the Sacramento Valley, the wine country and the Carguinez Straits. The department also funded a recycling program at the national park.

The Department of Conservation is committed to honoring Muir's name-- not only through helping fund conservation projects at living landmarks like the John Muir National Historic Site and Muir Woods National Monument-- but by incorporating Muir's philosophies into modern environmental challenges and creating solutions that balance environmental protection with economic prosperity. We encourage all Californians to practice conservation, such as recycling, at home, at work and where they play. And we endorse the efforts of manufacturers and others in industry who are trailblazers in their fields, using environmentally responsible "green tech" to improve bottom lines. The Department of Conservation will continue to reflect the Muir image and remind humankind, in the words of Muir himself: "Earth has no sorrow that Earth cannot heal."