Gloria Flora, an exemplary public servant with a 23-year career in the Forest Service, protected the “Rocky Mountain Front” from drilling and mining. She later resigned in protest when “wise use” fanatics in Nevada endangered Forest Service personnel under her command. She tells the story of what happens to landscapes and their human and wild inhabitants when an agency slips on the marbles of political, scientific and social dynamics. She will also tell a story of hope for the future of our families and landscapes based on understanding, and re-instituting the honor and responsibility of becoming ancestors.

This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers National Conference.