THE HIGH DIVIDE

In late November, the University of Colorado held a special academic convocation in Boulder to dedicate *The Arthur & Clara Vance Center for Alpine Watershed Conservation.*

The auditorium was filled with hundreds of forestry scientists, hydrology directors, and environmental students from across the nation.

Gregory Vance walked to the podium dressed in his simple dark wool jacket and clean work boots, carrying the same leather-bound surveyor’s box he had returned to the fence six years earlier.

He set the box on the oak lectern, looking out over the assembly with quiet, humble grace.

""We live in an age that often teaches us that success is measured by how much we can take from others, how loudly we can demand our way, and how many doors we can force open with false promises,"" Gregory spoke clearly to the crowd. ""We are taught that wealth is power and the earth is just a playground for our vanity. But this high ground was preserved on an older, truer foundation: that a man’s true strength is found in his willingness to serve, to listen, and to protect what cannot speak for itself.""

He pointed to the mountains visible through the panoramic auditorium windows.

""When you respect the boundary, the mountain welcomes you. When you tell the truth, the ground holds you. There is no other foundation that will stand.""