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View Winners → Op-Ed: An investment in the health and economy of the San Gabriel Valley
Arcadia Weekly Sep 18, 2014
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By Dr. Adana Moses and Dr. Christopher Vargas
As a small business owners and chiropractors, we see the proposed new San Gabriel Mountains National Monument as an opportunity to invest in the health and economy of the San Gabriel Valley.
A healthy neuromusculoskeletal system is only one contributor to our overall well-being. We encourage our patients to also eat healthy food and get moving — walking, biking, running or hiking. Exercise not only helps to reduce pain and improve joint function but can help control weight and address inflammation. Moreover, exercise has been proven to help reduce stress and promote better sleep and relaxation – both of which are key to achieving optimal health.
But there are too many communities here in the San Gabriel Valley with too few parks, walking trails and playgrounds. We may recommend exercise to a patient, but if there isn’t a park near her home where she can play with her children or run with her dog, we’ve learned she likely won’t follow that recommendation.
Fortunately, the public lands in our backyard – the San Gabriel Mountains — could soon see some needed enhancements to make them more visitor- and exercise-friendly. For too long, hikers have encountered trash along popular trails. Graffiti scars canyon walls. Restrooms are closed. Riverways are crowded. Rangers are few and far between.
The U.S. Forest Service held a town hall meeting in Baldwin Park recently to gather feedback about potential new visitor services in the San Gabriel Mountains, which would come with a presidential designation of the public lands as a National Monument. Media reports indicate that the meeting was packed; we can see why. We live in the shadow of these beautiful mountains but tend to only noticed them when ablaze. Neglect has led to poor conditions for visitors, and likely, poor conditions for wildlife and our water supplies, too. Of course 600 residents would show up to learn about the Forest Service’s potential plans to fix up our forest!
We support a monument designation. Our patients would benefit from this opportunity for nearby outdoor recreation. But we also see it as a smart move for our local economy. Instead of littering the mountainside with fancy housing developments and shopping malls, we can protect the open space that raises property values and entices entrepreneurs like us to raise our families and grow our businesses in the San Gabriel Valley and enjoy these mountain views.
We encourage President Obama to designate the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
Dr. Adana Moses and Dr. Christopher Vargas are co-owners of Innate Family Chiropractic in Pasadena, which has been named “Best of Pasadena 2013” by Pasadena Weekly readers.
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