Happy Birthday, Theodore Roosevelt!

by Errol Tremolada, REP member in California, published October 27, 2009 in MoreMarin.com, Greenbrae, CA

Happy Birthday Theodore Roosevelt!

On October 27, 1858, the "Wilderness Warrior" was born. One of the greatest Presidents in our history left a legacy of conservation that our current Republican Party must remember. His idiosyncratic and eccentric personality put Theodore Roosevelt on the map, but his achievements as a steward of the environment landed President Roosevelt in the history books. 

The GOP can learn quite a bit from our great conservation champion. We must be protectors of our land and stewards not for our immediate enjoyment but rather the enjoyment our children's children. Locally, we can thank TR for exercising the Antiquities Act to declare Muir Woods a National Monument. Teddy's great environmental victories were on display as the country watched Ken Burns' "National Parks: America's Best Idea" – and we are so grateful for his leadership in preserving some of the most beautiful places in the United States.

Now it is time for the GOP to rekindle its conservation roots and continue in TR's legacy. The GOP must be leaders not only on conservation but battling climate change. We must have a comprehensive plan to protect our planet and the environment. It would be wise for the GOP to heed the words of one of the greatest Republican Presidents in history: "There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country." TR, Chicago 1912.