Natures Own Botanical Gardens. Our National Parks and Forests!

When you visit a National Park or a Forest you get the closest thing to a true Botanical Garden or even a Zoo if you’re lucky!

Some people complain when a section of American land, that is unique in geological or botanical aspects, is protected by an act of Congress. They say it precludes logging, mining or utilization of the natural resources within that area. To a certain extent they are right, but guess what? We aren’t making any more land!

We are making more people however!

Our last census in 2010 shows that the United States has currently 308,745,000 people. If you want to see how it is broken down by state or county in your area check out the census website below.

http://www.census.gov/2010census/

Density?

The interesting thing about population is that it’s not very balanced with the land base. Oceanside states tend to have the largest populations while the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain states don’t. There is a large discrepancy between states. For example, The U.S. as a whole has 3,537,379 square miles and an average of 95 people per square mile. In Colorado, at 103,718 square miles, they have a population density of 47 people per square mile. If you look at it by county, the majority will be living on the front range!

But then take Wyoming just to the North. Wyoming has a density of only 5.49 people per square mile! And contrast that with New Jersey! New Jersey has 1,170 people per square mile. That’s scary!

Check out the following link to find out your density.

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/usabysiz.htm

Why National Parks and Forests?

We are lucky enough to live in a country that has the size, the diversity and the ability to protect these lands. As our population grows and shifts there will be ever increasing pressure to extract those natural resources that are found in our unique lands.

One area that is probably the most spectacular is the Colorado Rockies! There are many reasons why but check out some of the photos that I have taken that show you the diversity and uniqueness that exists there!