A Conversation with the Author of “This Land Was Saved for You and Me”

He grew up exploring Maine’s coastal islands, tidal pools, and vast forests shaped by proximity to the ocean. These adventures in his formative years, led him to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and theAppalachian National Scenic Trail, then explore the lives of the people who advocated for the creation of our trails and public lands. Recently, he’s used his own hands to build a replica of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin.

Meet Jeffrey H. Ryan—an author and impassioned storyteller who enlightens us on how the father of landscape architecture and generations of foresters rescued America’s public lands.    

In advance of his appearance on Land Ethic Live! on August 14, the Aldo Leopold Foundation sat down with Ryan get to know him better and discuss some little known, real-life stories from history and some illustrative lessons for the conservation of public lands today.  

Go HERE to register for this free and open-to-the-public virtual program with Jeffrey H. Ryan on Land Ethic Live!on August 14, 2025 at 7pm CST.

Question: Given the more than 5,000 miles of trail hiking you have under your belt, is there a particular moment of wonder or delight that stands out as formative to your high regard for public lands?

Answer: Years ago, when hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, I walked through an enormous string of federal lands end to end—national forests, national parks, Bureau of Land Management lands. One day in Washington State we came up a ridge and saw three mountains like talismans—recently erupted MountSt. Helen’s, Mount Adams, and Mount Rainier. I literally dropped my back pack to the ground and just stood in awe of the massive landscape laid out in front of me and for me. That was a seminal moment. How did these public places come to be?

Later I read the 1865 “Yosemite and theMariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report” by the prescient Frederick Law Olmsted; he offered a what was a novel concept in the Western world at the time: the importance of wilderness experiences for our well-being and the effect of beautiful scenery on humans. Olmsted was instrumental in saving our public lands.

Question: In thinking about the value of our public lands what arises most for you?

Answer: I think about how important our forests and waterways are to our well-being—mental and physical as well as to our sustainability as a species. I think of land, in its largest sense, as a sacred gift and our own personal stake in something we leave to the people who follow us. I feel so strongly because I have personally reaped the benefits of these places. I feel an obligation to help spread the word and encourage others to enjoy these resources. Leave it better, leave it better for future generations.

Question: As a historian, how do you think about the relationship between people and nature today?

Answer: In my mind, there are two ways to live a land ethic. The first, it’s our personal responsibility to take care of land where we live, perhaps even rehabilitating it, like removing invasive species. I often center on Aldo Leopold’s quote “The oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it." And then there’s encouraging people to protect and maintain our public lands that the government manages—be it national forests, national parks, wilderness areas or shared land closer to home such as local parks. There’s personal involvement in advocacy as well; this land that belongs to all of us.  

Question: Is there an example from your book that is instructive for the times we are living in today, in terms of ensuring these places are available for future generations to benefit from and experience?  

Answer: In 1905 PresidentTheodore Roosevelt appointed Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S.Forest Service, to lead a delegation to a forestry convention where the lumber industry was railing against the creation and management of the newly established national forest reserves.

When a then reviledPinchot took the stage, his remarks centered on finding common ground. Pinchot stated that he was there not to put the lumber industry out of business; instead he wanted to help their businesses survive. All accounts of that day suggestPinchot helped turn the conversation to the future.

Fast forward to today, I think there is still room in the middle to find solutions. We owe it to ourselves to be in conversation and figure out a way forward. There are a number of industries that rely on national forests including recreation; we need to manage these resources for everyone’s benefit.

Question: Your book does a great job of connecting the dots between the compelling leaders in conservation and over a century-long period: who was influencing who, whose shoulders was each one standing. Were there any surprises for you?

Answer: Olmsted was such an enigma and he was so prolific that oftentimes the historical narrative goes directly to his contributions as a landscape architect, how he established the profession and its ripple affects to how public spaces were and are still designed.

However, Olmsted by making the case for the emotional aspects of natural scenery led to the protection of YosemiteValley and the Mariposa Grove in 1864 and laid the groundwork for the concept of national parks, years before Yellowstone National Park signed into law(1872). Olmstead was also a proponent for a less developed and commercializedNiagara Falls. Another example is his role in the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, where he lobbied for an island to remain undeveloped for throngs of fair-goes to rest under the trees and in tranquility.

Other figures in conservation history would pick up the baton in the importance of land protection for human well-being and not only economic value; for instance, Howard Zahniser with TheWilderness Society when promoting the need for a Wilderness Act (1964).

Question: The concept of wilderness protection seems to activate the old debate of preservation vs. conservation that many audience members know well. How do you think about these related concepts today?  

Answer: Historically, if you are someone who is interested in the outdoors you have been asked, ‘Which side of the coin are you on: Are you for leaving the land alone or for managing it?’ You sort of had to chose a side in the past: preservation or conservation. Today the lines are more blurred and I think that’s a really positive thing. We can manage lands to successfully provide both economic benefit and recreational benefit; they don’t need to be adverse concepts.

Question: So today we have different types of public lands—like National Parks and National Forests—thanks to the vision and foresight of the early leaders in conservation; do you think more people could benefit from learning more about and enjoying these places?

Answer: I don’t think our national forests are thought of as recreational opportunities; they don’t rise to the top likeNational Parks or even private campgrounds. And I think that’s a shame because they are public lands in every sense of the word.

These forests aren’t just for forestry; many people are surprised to learn they have campgrounds and boat launches.Personal involvement with these places is key; they are for all of us and it helps to encourage others to enjoy them so we have them in perpetuity.

The National Forest Foundation has created a searchable map; go HERE to find a national forest or grassland near you!

To learn more about Jeffrey H. Ryan including where one can find his books, visit his website HERE.

Go HERE for a two-minute promo video for Ryan’s engaging book “This Land Was Saved for You and Me: How Gifford Pinchot, Frederick Law Olmsted, and a Band of Foresters Rescued America’s Public Lands.”