Chris Purdy, a native of Rochester, is a former public school teacher Combat Engineer in the New York Army National Guard. Purdy currently studies public policy at the University of Texas.

By Chris Purdy | Special to Syracuse.com

Chris Purdy

I spent my childhood in the public lands of Upstate New York, hiking the high peaks of the Adirondacks, camping in Letchworth Park, and standing in front of the falls in Watkins Glen. Time in public lands made a lasting impact on me as a young boy and the soldier that I would become as a man. It was among the mountains and fir trees that I first learned the value of teamwork. I learned how to work together with my peers toward a common goal and how to let go of my ego in order to accomplish a mission -- lessons that would serve me well decades later.



These experiences, building snow huts in the winter or makeshift lean-tos during the summer rains, were integral in shaping my character. I understood early on how important it was to protect the spaces in which I was allowed to grow and learn. That is why I was shocked to hear that the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a bipartisan program that protects and funds public lands across the country, expired at the end of September.



Founded in 1964, and funded by royalties paid by private companies, the LWCF funds public lands projects in all 50 states. In New York alone, LWCF has granted $336 million dollars to our state parks, including $1 million to conserve historic battlefields. Congress went into recess without acting to save this critical program -- leaving those public spaces in at risk.



During my service, I frequently visited battlefields with my fellow soldiers to discuss strategy and honor the sacrifices of those who fought on American soil. The summer before I deployed to Iraq, I visited Gettysburg National Park, a LWCF-funded project, with a group of soldiers. Standing on that hallowed ground, in the field of the infamous Pickett's Charge, I prepared for my own challenges and triumphs in conflict.



Spending time on public lands with my soldiers brought me back to the lessons of my youth. Among the battlefield monuments and historical markers, I thought about what those public spaces had taught me about my country -- about the Iroquois Confederacy in New York and how their system of government influenced our Founding Fathers, or how brutal, but survivable a New York winter is -- lessons I hope to someday pass to children of my own.



As I grew up, moved away from home and joined the Army National Guard, public lands remained a constant in my often transitory life. No matter where I moved, because of LWCF, I have never been far from a public space.



After I left service, I trained for two marathons on the trail system outside of Atlanta, taking long runs with my thoughts and short jaunts with my dog. While I missed the wild outdoors of Upstate New York, those hours in nature made me feel at home. I also started to realize the impact these trails had, not just on their users, but on the local economy as small businesses sprung up around the trailheads and most trafficked routes.



In the service, we learn about traditions and about our responsibility to honor the legacies left to us. One of the greatest legacies of the American people is our commitment to public lands. Generations before me fought to protect those spaces, and now it is the responsibility of this generation to continue those protections.



Despite the introductions of multiple bills to re-authorize and fully fund the program, LWCF expired on Sept. 30. Sen. Chuck Schumer declared this failure "completely unacceptable," and I agree. That's why I support the senator's demands that his fellow congressional members immediately reauthorize the fund. As a native of Upstate New York, I urge Rep. John Katko to join Schumer in standing up for public lands throughout New York and across the country.



With the election season over, it's time for legislators to come together and set an example of bipartisan service to the public. The reauthorization of the LWCF, with its heavy support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, is the easiest place to start.



With the future of the LWCF at risk, I ask all New Yorkers to reflect on its founding principles. The fund was created to remind us of who we are as Americans, where we came from, and our responsibility is to future generations. Protected public lands helped shape who I was as a child, as a soldier, and who I am as an American today. Without our public lands, what parts of our national character will we lose?