54 years ago, the first Earth Day was celebrated. April 22 was chosen to maximize student engagement in the nascent, national environmental ethos that was developing in the years following Rachel Carson’s 1962 book ‘Silent Spring’.
That, in turn, gave rise to Article IX, section 1 (1) of the 1972 Montana Constitution containing the clause “The state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations.”
The sagacity that the 100 delegates in 1972 demonstrated has laid the foundation for all of the hiking, rafting, hunting, fishing, camping activities that we in Montana now hold so dear. We are a state of just over one million people spread across an area larger than Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio combined. We are truly fortunate to have so much natural beauty and know that so much of it is open to the public and will be for generations to come.
As a daily user of the outdoor recreational bounty that we have in Montana, I thank those that came before me who had the wisdom and foresight to ensure that we have access now and into the future.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is said to have made the quote ‘The earth laughs in flowers’. While I agree, I would add birds to the mix. With apologies to Mr. Emerson, I say: The earth rejoices with flowers and birds.
Happy Earth Day 2024
Nature, every day. 
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