Charles Bruner, Ralph Rosenberg, and David Osterberg jointly wrote this piece. All of the authors served with Paul Johnson in the Iowa legislature and remain active in Iowa politics and policy. They serve on the board of the Johnson Center for Land Stewardship Policy, which worked with Curt Meine in the development of We Can Do Better.

A land comprised of wilderness islands at one extreme and urban islands at the other, with vast food and fiber factories in between, does not constitute a geography of hope. But private land need not be devoted to a single-purpose enterprise. With a broader understanding of land and our place within the landscape, our Nation’s farms, ranches, and private forest land can and do serve the multiple functions that we and all other life do depend upon.

That quote is from Paul Johnson’s introduction to the USDA National Resources Soil Conservation Services’ 1996 America’s Private Land: A Geography of Hope, which is even more relevant today than when he wrote it and shepherded that publication. 

Paul Johnson (1941-2021) was a pivotal figure in American conservation, dedicating his life to bridging the gap between agriculture and environmental stewardship. A new book of Paul’s writings has just been released.

A dairy farmer from Decorah, Iowa, Johnson’s pragmatic, on-the-ground approach to conservation distinguished him as a leader who could inspire change from the legislative halls of Iowa to the federal government. His legacy is one of visionary public service, a deep love for the land, and a commitment to the idea that a healthy environment and a productive farm economy are not mutually exclusive.

The three of us served with Paul in the Iowa legislature. The Groundwater Protection Law of 1987 and the Resources Enhancement and Protection Law of 1989 were legislative endeavors that demonstrate this pragmatism. 

Paul was chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Clinton Administration, and Governor Tom Vilsack appointed him to be director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. All the while, he wrote and selections have been assembled and edited with an excellent introduction by Curt Meine, a senior fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation and author of the definitive biography of Leopold.

Upcoming are two book signing events—one co-hosted by the Harkin Institute on the Drake University campus on Wednesday, October 29^th, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. and one at the Ames Public Library on Thursday, October 30^th, at 6:00 p.m. Both will feature Curt Meine, some of Paul’s family and one of us. Both will explore how to take Paul’s work and writings to heart in developing the federal, state, and community policies that achieve his vision.

You don’t have to take our word of the value of Paul’s work and this publication. Lisa Schulte Moore, Professor and Co-director, Bioeconomy Institute, Iowa State University, and a 2021 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, was one of the many reviewers. She wrote the following:

We Can Do Better is the textbook for what the conservation movement—and indeed our democracy—desperately needs right now: “pragmatic, radical centrism.” Paul’s ability to find common ground and productively move people along the middle path, all while staying true to his own values, was truly remarkable. I’ve tried to assist the natural resource managers I train in developing this skill. Now I will just hand them a copy of We Can Do Better.

Members of the public are invited to attend either of these events. Registration is requested for those planning to attend the Harkin Institute event. Here is the link to register.