“Reflections for capitals show.”

The history of Alabama is tied closely to the state’s natural resources – soils, forests, rivers, and other aspects of Alabama’s abundant natural heritage. These exceptional environmental assets and qualities still abide across our state. Meanwhile, as Alabama today seeks the kinds of development that typify the urban growth of other areas, new kinds of land-altering environmental impacts are sure to follow. Unfortunately, this seems of lesser concern to those who hold the view that Alabama’s plentiful rural backcountry gives an impression of the state as backwards, and “behind”. However, in a world where so many regions are today experiencing extensive loss of natural surroundings, might Alabama’s still-abundant rural lands actually help to place our state quite ahead?