It is a priority of my administration to continue New Hampshire's

In the words of Chris Sununu: “It is a priority of my administration to continue New Hampshire’s long tradition of Environmental Conservationism.” These words, simple yet solemn, carry the weight of a covenant between humankind and the earth. They call to remembrance the heritage of a people who have long cherished their forests, their rivers, and their mountains, not merely as resources to be consumed, but as sacred trusts to be guarded. In them we hear not the voice of a single leader alone, but the echo of generations who walked before us, who knew that to honor the land is to secure the future of their children.

The ancients knew that the land is more than soil beneath our feet; it is the body of the world, the living temple in which life itself dwells. To practice conservationism is to recognize this truth and act with reverence. Sununu’s words remind us that New Hampshire, a land of granite strength and forested grace, has kept this wisdom alive. Its history is one of balance: of using the bounty of nature while preserving its beauty, of drawing strength from the rivers while ensuring their waters remain pure. Such balance is not weakness, but power held in restraint, a virtue that sustains a people far longer than conquest or greed.

Consider the tale of Theodore Roosevelt, the great champion of America’s wild lands. In an age when industry consumed forests and rivers without thought, he stood as a voice of guardianship. He declared that the wonders of nature were not the inheritance of a few, but the birthright of all generations. By his hand, national parks and forests were set aside, treasures preserved from the devouring maw of unchecked ambition. Just as Roosevelt’s actions saved Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon from ruin, so too does Sununu’s pledge call us to remember that conservation is not the luxury of the idle, but the duty of every leader who holds the people’s trust.

The meaning of this quote lies in continuity. To “continue New Hampshire’s long tradition” is to stand in a line unbroken, a lineage of stewardship stretching from the first settlers who learned to live with the land, to modern citizens who seek harmony between progress and preservation. It is easy to cut down a forest; it is harder to plant one. It is easy to pollute a river; it takes generations to cleanse it. Thus, to continue a tradition of environmental care is to resist the ease of destruction and choose instead the harder, nobler path of guardianship.

Yet Sununu’s words are also a warning, for traditions survive only when they are actively upheld. If one generation falters, the chain of guardianship can be broken, and what was preserved for centuries may be lost in a single decade. The ancients warned that when men turn from reverence to recklessness, the earth itself rises in judgment—through famine, flood, and fire. We see glimpses of this today: forests aflame, oceans rising, storms raging with greater fury. These are reminders that the covenant with nature cannot be neglected without consequence.

What, then, is the lesson for us, the heirs of this long tradition? It is to live not as exploiters, but as stewards. Plant trees where there are none. Protect the rivers from waste. Choose wisely the energy that drives your life, knowing that the air your children breathe depends upon your choices. Advocate for leaders who understand the balance between use and preservation, and do not be silent when you see the earth dishonored. For every small act of care is a stone placed in the great temple of conservation, built for generations yet unborn.

So let these words be passed on as teaching: to conserve is not to deny, but to affirm; not to withhold, but to bless. The land, once scarred, takes centuries to heal, but the land respected will bless its people with abundance beyond measure. Follow the example of New Hampshire, whose tradition of environmental conservationism binds past to future, and remember always that to guard the earth is to guard life itself. For the true strength of a nation lies not only in its armies or its wealth, but in the beauty and health of the land it calls home.