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Articles by Martha Marks

Martha Marks, formerly a county commissioner in Lake County, Ill., lives with her husband in Santa Fe, N.M. She is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News.

Featured Article

In the seven years since I cofounded Republicans for Environmental Protection, officially known as REP America, I have answered two questions more often than any others: “Isn’t Republicans for Environmental Protection an oxymoron?” And, “If you care so much about conservation and environmental protection, why don’t you become a Democrat?”

The first one is easy to answer. No, Republicans for Environmental Protection is not an oxymoron. I can rattle off a list of Republican presidents, senators, representatives, governors, and ordinary citizens who fought hard for the laws that cleaned up our air and water, protected our natural resources, and saved vast tracts of our public lands. And they have many kindred spirits in the GOP today.

We conservation-minded Republicans are the true conservatives in our party. True conservatives protect the health and well-being of current and future generations. If conservatives won’t conserve, who will? REP America believes so strongly that conservation is conservative that we’ve trademarked that slogan. So, dealing with the “oxymoron question” is a snap.

The answer ... Read more