To the Journal editor:

Established vegetation/plants minimize soil erosion.

Established native plants, trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers native to a region’s growing medium be it sand or soil protect watersheds.

The deep reaching root systems of established native plants conserve water, having zero daily surface watering to stay alive.

Established native plants support fauna and flora wildlife. Trees leach/remove toxins within soils, purify the air and control regional climate. Native grasses benefit all through their life cycle with aeration, forage, nest material and rest niches.

Wildflowers that are native not only benefit pollinators but are available food and medicine sources

As humans, we are not happy to have soil that may have been our garden or where our home sat. And, we are unable to adapt without potable water during a drought.

Our health is at the mercy of the air we breathe, climate conditions and food and medicine sources.

We cannot bring back what was. We can take care of ourselves and future generations better with stewardship/our life caring actions.

In the words of Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Clearly, allowing a status quo of complacency can only lead us closer to the cliff’s edge away from life.

The choice is ours alone.