It sometimes seems that we have lost the ability to truly communicate with one another. It is not so much what we say to one another, but how we listen.

Even friends can find it difficult to hear opposing views from each other. But the outcome can be rich if we can learn to listen well. It is worth it to move beyond the angry, divisive, rhetoric-driven communication that we typically hear, so we can concentrate on the real issues.

For us, what started as one cup of coffee together to discuss cities’ Climate Action Plans, has morphed into years of coffee discussions about local, state, national and global political issues. In our earlier discussions, we discovered that we often had differing views on prominent issues, views often — though not always— following positions taken by opposing political parties.

Here’s one example: Ken has a burning desire to ensure governments are doing all they can to stave off global warming while Nicole has a burning desire to ensure citizens know the consequences of governments’ actions in controlling global warming.

Nevertheless, our discussions have always been congenial, reflecting the respect we have for each other. We have learned from each other, and each of us acknowledges that our respective positions have occasionally changed with respect to issues that we have discussed.

Surprisingly for today’s culture and climate, we have remained friends, and we keep having those cups of coffee and lively discussions. No canceling here. The warm smell of java and friendship is a stronger pull than politics.

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Turning the Sierra National Forest Into a National Monument

But now we are faced with an issue that has brought out strong emotions in both of us, since we both have strong connections with our local forests. Like others, we have found forests to be a respite from the storms of our daily lives.

The proposal in question is to convert one million acres of Sierra National Forest into monument status. It is called the Range of Light proposal, and it would designate as a national monument this large forest tract, alongside and between the boundaries of Yosemite and Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Parks.

Nicole’s primary concern is about being denied access to the forests in question that she responsibly enjoys hiking each week — something she cannot always do in the nearby national parks with their reservation systems, fees, and regulations. Ken’s focus is on how the proposal might be useful in preserving the quality of the forests themselves.

Monument? No Monument? Forging our way through those cups of coffee, we ultimately found that our interests are essentially aligned. It is how those interests are brought to bear in the actual management of the forest that we see things differently.

It is hard to believe that anyone would not want to preserve the pristine nature of the Sierra. Yet, there are over 10,000 signatures on a petition to stop the Range of Light (Nicole is proudly one of those). So, what is the issue?

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We Part Ways on Forest Issues

We have brewed up a list of forest issues that are dividing us, and we surmise that if we focus on these, we may have more in common regarding the Sierra than the simple argument of “Monument or no Monument” would have us believe. These are:

 Private property

 Public access

 Logging

 Cattle grazing

 Forest thinning/prescribed burning

 Motorized recreation

Let’s Promote Forest Health While Maintaining Access

So rather than debate about Monument status, let us sit down and talk about how to promote the health of the forest while maintaining access so that many can enjoy the Sierra. We don’t yet agree on specific solutions, but we do agree that proposals such as this should be transparently and publicly debated, without shortcuts.

Each of us has resolved to investigate and discuss these issues before reaching a conclusion after considering the following: What does science say?  What are the trusted information sources?  What are the consequences of this proposal?

Throughout the process, we promise to be open-minded and respectful of all points of view and messengers. At the conclusion of our investigation, we plan to report the results to people who care about the forest and its management.

We will then have another friendly cup of coffee together while debating the various topics that confront us daily.

About the Authors

Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba is an avid backcountry solo hiker and off-road 4-wheeler. Ken Wall of Fresno is a retired banker and bank regulator, and an environmental advocate and hiker.