“We cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations … delicate ecological balances are upset by the uncontrolled destruction of animal and plant life or by a reckless exploitation of natural resources. It should be pointed out that all of this, even if carried out in the name of progress and well-being, is ultimately to humankind's disadvantage.... An education in ecological responsibility is urgent: responsibility for oneself, for others, and for the earth.”
--Pope John Paul II, The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility, 1990
This wonderful quote opens one of the most beautiful expressions of caring for a watershed I have read, entitled:
The Columbia River Watershed:
Caring for Creation and the Common Good
An International Pastoral Letter by the Catholic Bishops of the Region
The pastoral letter expresses, with a deep connection to Northwest Native American spirituality, why it is important to care for river watersheds.
It is part the strategy of the American River Parkway Preservation Society (ARPPS) to create an ecumenical expression embracing that perspective for the American River Watershed. See our website: http://www.arpps.org
You can read the Columbia River Pastoral Letter at: http://www.columbiariver.org/main_pages/Watershed/PDF/english.pdf
