Snow is simply water in the act of falling to other places, same as a river, same as us sometimes. Within this miracle of the water cycle, this firm, crystalline snow is, for the moment, at rest. The fact that it can be adrift or floating as vapor in the ether is a wondrous thought.

After over 50 years of repeatedly having its coffers raided by Congress, the widely beloved Land and Water Conservation Fund will now enjoy full and permanent funding thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act. Reaction to the act’s passage was like the readout from a stress meter on the San Andreas fault, highlighting a rift that exists in today’s conservation community.