---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wilderness designations should not be the…"
description: "\"Wilderness designations should not be the result of a quid pro quo. They should rise or fall on their own merits.\" — Nick Rahall"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png"
---

#  Wilderness designations should not be the result of a quid…

![“Wilderness designations should not be the result of a quid pro quo. They should rise or fall on their own merits.” quote by Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png)

> “Wilderness designations should not be the result of a quid pro quo. They should rise or fall on their own merits.”

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Wilderness designations should be based on merit, not political bargaining, ensuring genuine environmental value.

**In simple terms:** Protect wilderness for its own worth, not deals.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for merit‑based conservation.

Themes

environment policy ethics

Mood

critical determined

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- legislative hearings
- community planning
- environmental NGOs

Key Concepts

land management public trust

Questions to Reflect On

- How can merit be objectively assessed?
- What safeguards prevent quid pro quo?

A Different Perspective

Political pressure can skew protection decisions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Quid pro quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quid-pro-quo/) [Wilderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilderness/)

## Related quotes

> [Madam Speaker, I have spent more than half my life as a member of the Resources Committee. In that time I have supported numerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/madam-speaker-i-have-spent-more-than-half-my-life-as-a-member-of-the/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [The mode of reconciling the promise of ever-increasing reward for the cadres and the demands of the working classes for a quid pro quo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-mode-of-reconciling-the-promise-of-ever-increasing-reward-for-the/)

[Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/)

> [“We're all Running People, as the Tarahumara have always known. But the American approach -- ugh . Rotten at its core. It was too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/we-re-all-running-people-as-the-tarahumara-have-always-known-but-the/)

[Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/)

> [As a lobbyist, I thought it only natural and right that my clients should reward those members who saved them such substantial sums with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/as-a-lobbyist-i-thought-it-only-natural-and-right-that-my-clients/)

[Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/)

> [You are where you are today because you stand on somebody's shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-jordan/you-are-where-you-are-today-because-you-stand-on-somebody-s-shoulders/)

[Vernon Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-jordan/)

> [Quid pro quo has an interesting history. It's originally a contract law term, not a criminal bribery term.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/quid-pro-quo-has-an-interesting-history-it-s-originally-a-contract/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [“Still, if we combine all the victims of all these persecutions, it turns out that in these three centuries, the polytheistic Romans killed no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/still-if-we-combine-all-the-victims-of-all-these-persecutions-it/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [If the angle you're going at is there's some kind of quid pro quo - there isn't. Business is business, and people are allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-miller/if-the-angle-you-re-going-at-is-there-s-some-kind-of-quid-pro-quo/)

Mike Miller

> [“Sponsorship, done right, is transactional. It’s an implicit or even explicit strategic alliance, a long-range quid pro quo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-ann-hewlett/sponsorship-done-right-is-transactional-it-s-an-implicit-or-even/)

[Sylvia Ann Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-ann-hewlett/)

> [“To use our individual good or bad luck as a litmus test to determine whether or not God exists constructs an illogical dichotomy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/to-use-our-individual-good-or-bad-luck-as-a-litmus-test-to-determine/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [ State Department official accused of offering 'quid pro quo' in \[Hillary\] Clinton email scandal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/state-department-official-accused-of-offering-quid-pro-quo-in-hillary/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [“Love may not be quid pro quo but marriage certainly is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahla-khan/love-may-not-be-quid-pro-quo-but-marriage-certainly-is/)

[Shahla Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahla-khan/)

> [“The supply of subjects was a continual trouble to him as well as to his master. In that large and busy class, the raw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-supply-of-subjects-was-a-continual-trouble-to-him-as-well-as-to/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“Your realm is an insane place. In Volaria, no-one goes hungry, slaves are no use when they starve. Those freeborn too lazy or lacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ryan/your-realm-is-an-insane-place-in-volaria-no-one-goes-hungry-slaves/)

[Anthony Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ryan/)

> [We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-a-lawson/we-exist-temporarily-through-what-we-take-but-we-live-forever-through/)

Douglas A. Lawson

## More by Nick Rahall

> [A resilient people cherishing liberty and equality and the rule of law will endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/a-resilient-people-cherishing-liberty-and-equality-and-the-rule-of/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Our work to provide equal opportunities for all Americans should be a year-round mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/our-work-to-provide-equal-opportunities-for-all-americans-should-be-a/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [We all understand that compromise is part of the legislative process, yet at the same time, I would submit that wilderness is not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/we-all-understand-that-compromise-is-part-of-the-legislative-process/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [But through world wars and a Great Depression, through painful social upheaval and a Cold War, and now through the attacks of September 11,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/but-through-world-wars-and-a-great-depression-through-painful-social/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [A free people, free to believe as we wish, free to speak our minds, free to raise our children as we see fit, will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/a-free-people-free-to-believe-as-we-wish-free-to-speak-our-minds-free/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [The spirit of Christmas is - and hopefully always will be - about goodwill and generosity to others and peace on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/the-spirit-of-christmas-is-and-hopefully-always-will-be-about/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Peace cannot come from punishing the Palestinian people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/peace-cannot-come-from-punishing-the-palestinian-people/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [With that in mind and in celebration of National Prayer Day, today I have proposed in the House of Representatives a Constitutional Amendment that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/with-that-in-mind-and-in-celebration-of-national-prayer-day-today-i/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Over the last six years, airlines have experienced severe financial pressure to leave smaller communities, making demands on the EAS program even greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/over-the-last-six-years-airlines-have-experienced-severe-financial/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Wilderness is not defined by the absence of certain activities, but rather by the presence of certain unique and invaluable characteristics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/wilderness-is-not-defined-by-the-absence-of-certain-activities-but/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [As a people of faith, we know that prayer is a powerful instrument. And as one Nation under God, we know that many times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/as-a-people-of-faith-we-know-that-prayer-is-a-powerful-instrument-and/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Madam Speaker, I have spent more than half my life as a member of the Resources Committee. In that time I have supported numerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/madam-speaker-i-have-spent-more-than-half-my-life-as-a-member-of-the/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [For hundreds of millions of Americans who believe in God, prayer is our bridge between Earth and Heaven, our way of opening our hearts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/for-hundreds-of-millions-of-americans-who-believe-in-god-prayer-is/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Simply put, I believe we should not seek the lowest common denominator when it comes to wilderness and saddle a wilderness designation with exceptions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/simply-put-i-believe-we-should-not-seek-the-lowest-common-denominator/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

> [Reasonable, even intelligent people can, and frequently do, disagree on how best to achieve peace in the Middle East, but, peace must be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/reasonable-even-intelligent-people-can-and-frequently-do-disagree-on/)

[Nick Rahall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

[Explore all 21 Nick Rahall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/)

## More Fall quotes

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/)

[Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/)

> [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/)

[Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/)

> [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/)

[Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/)

> [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/)

[Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/)

[Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/)

> [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/)

[Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/)

> [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/)

[Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/)

> [Life will knock you down &amp; it's tough, but you are strong enough. Get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-will-knock-you-down-it-s-tough-but-you-are-strong-enough-get/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/)

[Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/)

> [“If you ever falling but can't see the bottom be glad you can't because at the bottom it's either a soft land or rocks!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelseigh-ashton/if-you-ever-falling-but-can-t-see-the-bottom-be-glad-you-can-t/)

Kelseigh Ashton

> [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/)

[Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/)

Browse all 13,401 Fall quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Wilderness designations should not be the result of a quid pro quo. They should rise or fall on their own merits.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nick Rahall"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/wilderness-designations-should-not-be-the-result-of-a-quid-pro-quo/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fall"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/wilderness-designations-should-not-be-the-result-of-a-quid-pro-quo/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/nick-rahall-26869_fall_wilderness-designations-should-not-be-th_2434154.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Wilderness designations should not be the result of a quid pro quo. They should rise or fall on their own…” — Nick Rahall",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nick Rahall",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rahall/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Wilderness designations should not be the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/wilderness-designations-should-not-be-the-result-of-a-quid-pro-quo/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rahall/wilderness-designations-should-not-be-the-result-of-a-quid-pro-quo/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
