--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is imperative to maintain portions of…" description: "\"It is imperative to maintain portions of the wilderness untouched so that a tree will rot where it falls, a waterfall will pour its curve without gener..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/bernard-devoto-23837_ancestor_it-is-imperative-to-maintain-portions-of_2183873.png" --- # It is imperative to maintain portions of the wilderness… ![“It is imperative to maintain portions of the wilderness untouched so that a tree will rot where it falls, a waterfall will pour its curve without generating electricity, a trumpeter swan may float on uncontaminated water - and moderns may at least see what their ancestors knew in their nerves and…” quote by Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/bernard-devoto-23837_ancestor_it-is-imperative-to-maintain-portions-of_2183873.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/bernard-devoto-23837_ancestor_it-is-imperative-to-maintain-portions-of_2183873.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b7/bernard-devoto-23837_ancestor_it-is-imperative-to-maintain-portions-of_2183873.png) > “It is imperative to maintain portions of the wilderness untouched so that a tree will rot where it falls, a waterfall will pour its curve without generating electricity, a trumpeter swan may float on uncontaminated water - and moderns may at least see what their ancestors knew in their nerves and blood.” [Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-devoto/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Preserving untouched wilderness lets natural processes and wildlife thrive, offering future generations a direct link to ancestral ecosystems. **In simple terms:** Protect wild places for nature and heritage. Key Takeaway Leave some lands untouched. Themes conservation heritage nature legacy Mood reflective concerned Type ethical environmental When to use this quote - environmental education - eco‑tourism - land‑use planning - wildlife research Key Concepts ecosystem integrity wildlife habitats cultural continuity Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance development with wilderness protection? - What value do untouched ecosystems hold for society? A Different Perspective Human needs for development may conflict with preservation goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Conservation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservation/) [Electricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electricity/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Imperatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperatives/) [Mother earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-earth/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature and environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-and-environment/) [Nature conservation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-conservation/) [Nerves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerves/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Waterfalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waterfalls/) [Wilderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilderness/) ## Related quotes > [Corporations don't have children. They don't have feelings or souls. They don't depend on uncontaminated water, clean air, or healthy food to survive. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/corporations-don-t-have-children-they-don-t-have-feelings-or-souls/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [God made life simple. 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Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/climb-the-mountains-and-get-their-good-tidings-nature-s-peace-will-3/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/man-has-been-endowed-with-reason-with-the-power-to-create-so-that-he-2/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Conservation means development as much as it does protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/conservation-means-development-as-much-as-it-does-protection/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Everybody needs beauty as well as bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/everybody-needs-beauty-as-well-as-bread/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given. But up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/man-has-been-endowed-with-reason-with-the-power-to-create-so-that-he/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [The old Lakota was wise. 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Nevertheless, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-devoto/let-us-candidly-admit-that-there-are-shameful-blemishes-on-the/) [Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-devoto/) > [The dawn of knowledge is usually the false dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-devoto/the-dawn-of-knowledge-is-usually-the-false-dawn/) [Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-devoto/) > [Sure the people are stupid: the human race is stupid. Sure Congress is an inefficient instrument of government. But the people are not stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-devoto/sure-the-people-are-stupid-the-human-race-is-stupid-sure-congress-is/) [Bernard DeVoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-devoto/) > [A novelist has mad a fictional representation of life. 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