WASHINGTON — Modern pioneers launched a 3,000-mile trek toward Salt Lake City on Wednesday, seeking to lead Americans to a different sort of promised land: greater love of national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands.
Like the Mormon pioneers 155 years ago, the new government-backed pioneers aim to end their journey in two months in Salt Lake City at This Is the Place Heritage Park.
The departments of Interior and Agriculture, plus several businesses, are sponsoring two sets of adventurers who will travel through six Western states, only setting foot on public lands, for the next two months.
One began from the Montana-Canada border Wednesday, while the other began at the Mexico-New Mexico border. They will eventually meet in Salt Lake City on Sept. 28, National Public Lands Day.
They will chronicle on the Internet and for news organizations their adventures by foot, whitewater raft, canoe, horseback, mule back, all-terrain vehicle, houseboat and mountain bike. Many of their activities will highlight lesser-known public lands in Utah plus famous places from Lake Powell to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
"I am very, very jealous," U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton said of the trekkers at a Washington ceremony at the National Press Club celebrating the kick-off of the trek, which is officially called "American Frontiers: A Public Lands Journey."
As she stood in front of flags of Utah and other states to be visited, Norton said, "This trek doesn't have to be an object of jealousy. . . . Each of us can enjoy public lands."
She said that is the point of the experience. "Through their journey, we hope to highlight the vastness and beauty of our public lands, which exist in every state and cover one-third of our nation's surface."
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said, "We hope to inspire more visitors to our national forests and public lands."
She said the volunteer adventurers remind her of a cast of the TV show "Survivor," only "they are not trying to win $1 million" but trying to help Americans win more appreciation of their public lands.
The trekkers include a New York City firefighter who lost a brother in the Sept. 11 attacks, two schoolteachers who will focus writings for schoolchildren, a reporter, a nurse, an assistant deputy commandant of the Marines, an aerospace engineer and a state park ranger, among others.
Robert Carlo, a 38-year-old firefighter from New York City, lost his brother Mike (also a firefighter) in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11. Carlo said he is going on the trek to honor his brother and share with others his love for the outdoors.
"Mike and I lived our lives very much the same way: work hard, appreciate life and do and see the things you want," he said, adding the expedition will allow "me to share my passion for the outdoors with many people. . . . The outdoors is a very healing place."
President Bush agreed. He sent a letter to the trekkers saying that since Sept. 11, public lands have been especially important to Americans as "places for many to reflect upon life, to renew their hope, and to improve their health."
Internet sites that will follow the trekkers include www.americanfrontiers.net and www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction.
Numerous events are scheduled in Utah. The largest will be a celebration of the end of the trek and the joining of the two teams on Sept. 28 at This Is the Place Heritage Park.
Other events scheduled in Utah include:
Sept. 7: The southern team will spend time at Lake Powell, living on a houseboat, and will address recreation issues.
Sept. 8: The southern team will visit Rainbow Bridge National Monument, and address Native American perspectives on Rainbow Bridge.
Sept. 13: The southern team visits Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and addresses invasive plant species issues.
Sept. 19: The southern team uses all-terrain vehicles in areas between St. George and Richfield to address issues about ATV trail use and partnerships.
Sept. 23: The southern team address issues about dinosaurs, touring the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, a Manti-LaSal National Forest mammoth site, and the Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum.
Sept. 24: The northern team visits Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area to focus on recreation issues there. The southern team visits Strawberry Reservoir, in part to address fire management in the area.
Sept. 27: A "Bring Public Lands Downtown" event at Gallivan Utah Plaza in Salt Lake City will feature entertainment and public lands exhibits.
E-mail: lee@desnews.com