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Past Events
January 2001: Legal Expert Presents Wilderness Talk
"The preservation of the Quetico Cuperior Canoe country and wilderness everythwere is a daily and continuing battle." -- Becky Rom
Photo: Grassland Foundation
Becky Rom, Minnesota attorney and wilderness preservation activist was in Lincoln at the invitation of The Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on January 26th to deliver an address at the UNL College of Law entitled "Achieving Renewal: Wilderness Conservation and Organizational Strategies."
"While the destruction of tropical rainforests has captured international attention, efforts to protect rare habitats in our own backyards continue with far less fanfare. While eyes are focused on colorful rainforest birds and monkeys with endearing faces, the grasses of Nebraska's Great Plains and the quiet waterways of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness go unnoticed."
- Becky Rom
Conservation Alliance President Tyler Sutton presents Rom with a print of Joel Sartore's photograph "The Sower."
Photo: Grassland Foundation
Conservation Alliance President Tyler Sutton presents Rom with a print of Joel Sartore's photograph "The Sower."
Rom is the founder of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and sits on the governing council of The Wilderness Society, a national organization located in Washington, D.C. committed to preserving wilderness and our public lands. She knows the Quetico-Superior canoe country of Northeastern Minnesota first hand, having grown up in Ely, in a canoe outfitting family.
She told the audience of nearly 60 that 2000 was a good year for conservation of wilderness areas, as nearly 1 million acres were added to the National Wilderness system. But now that it has been created, it will have to be defended. Nevertheless, according to Rom, conservation groups cannot afford to fall into a defensive posture even though there is a new administration hostile to wilderness issues. It�s important to maintain a pro-active agenda as well.
She suggested that conservation groups wherever located can become more effective by reaching out to opinion leaders in their communities, while at the same time organizing and maintaining strong grass root support. She suggested strengthening grass root support by broadening the base. Urbanites, suburbanites, retired persons, and people of color should be encouraged to join the movement, according to Rom.
One particularly useful insight offered by Rom was that wilderness conservation is a political issue, but it ought not to be a partisan issue; both sides of the aisle need to work together for the welfare of future generations. Our public lands not only belong to all Americans, but to all future generations of Americans. Rom�s experience and insights were an important contribution to the local dialogue on how to preserve and restore the natural areas on the Great Plains.
Rom currently is a partner in Faegre & Benson LLP, a large Minneapolis based law firm which has represented a number of environmental groups over the years, including Defenders of Wildlife, The Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society.