.._0

A Paper for People who Care about tbe West

."./ '-,., .', © DAVtD WILSOI-J'88""'~"'" Election results jjom 13 western states - . The West voted left, right and center I fyou can call a place of one million" In the absence of compelling issnes the project. The county will now.pursue Personal appeal was a quirky.factor I square miles a microcosm, then the and strong personalities on the national tourist dollars under Democratic leader- in this year's elections. In one term, rural i J West was a microcosm of the nation level, the real races in the region were ship. western Colorado and the _city of Pueblo I < in this presidential election. for county commissioner, ballot ques- Statewide, Utah voters rejected have taken Democrat Ben- Nighthorse ( Four and eight years ago, Reagan's tions, state legislatures and gubernatorial three separate tax limitation initiatives Campbell to their hearts. In the past, r anti-big government, anti-taxation, pro- and U.S. Senate seats. Western voters proposed by the far right and gave Re- , Colorado's 3rd Congressional District j individual initiative fit in perfectly with didn't just cross, but crisscrossed party publican Gov. Norman Bangerter anoth- has been an unstable seat. Now Camp- J the West's system of beliefs. But George lines, splitting tickets and producing a er term, rejecting what had seemed like bell is so popular he only had token op- I Bush struck no such responsive chords confusing mix of results. an unbeatable campaign by Democrat position. here this fall, and his election wins were Montana Republicans engineered a Ted Wilson. B UI Colorado Gov. Roy Romer I lackluster compared to the 20 to 30 per- landslide that registered high on the po- Southern Idaho's congressional seat, failed in his effort to make the state Leg- cent margins racked up Reagan. As a re- litical Richter scale. Seeking a way out once held by far right radical George islature less Republican, as voters main- sult, Bush's coattails did not exist. from under the economic black cloud of Hansen, is now firmly in the hands of tained the status quo there, although a The failure of the campaign to ad- recent years, voters elected a new set of moderate Democrat Richard Stallings. successful ballot measure may loosen up dress national issues - issues that could leaders: They installed a Republican In Nevada, the issne was the pro- that Legislature. - make Bush's presidency very difficult governor, threw the state Senate to the posed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste In Wyoming - a state that is more f from the start - extended to Western is- GOP, and most surprisingly, replaced dump, and voters purged a Reagan Re- like a Republican monarchy than a sues. When the greenhouse effect, the 'l veteran Democrat Sen. John Melcher publican from the U,S. Senate for the democracy - Sen" Malcolm Wallop's ozone layer, toxic waste dumps and a na- with untried Republican Conrad Burns. second election in a row, sending Demo- increasing isolation from Wyomingites I tional energy policy can't get a fair hear- On a smaller scale, economic back- cratic Gov. Richard Bryan instead to almost lost him a guaranteed election. ing, it is not surprising that Western is- lash struck the Republicans in western Washington, D.C., to fight off the nucle- That race was one of the closest and sues like public land management, graz- Colorado. The Democrats took over ar dragon. most surprising in the state's history. ing fees, nuclear waste dumps and water Mesa County's (Grand Junction) board Republicans in Arizona showed Personal appeal was also the decid- I policy also remain invisible. of county commissioners - a reaction to their strength, by surviving the Mecham ing factor in Nebraska Democrat Bob Bush's presidency won't rise or fall 1 the enormous debt piled up by pro-de- debacle and retaining hold of the state Kerrey's victorious quest for the state's 'on these Western issnes. But they make velopment Republicans during and after Legislature. Next door, New Mexico U.S. Senate seat. Kerrey beat a lesser- up part of the anay of issues that have the oil shale boom. Democrats won back the state Senate known Republican. {, been avoided rather than confronted over And in neighboring Grand County and increased their control of the House. The Democratic party's Nebraska Ii the past eight years. How Bush and his (Moab), Utah, voters rejected a proposed The results in the two Sun Belt states and Nevada U.S. Senate victories cancel team deal with those problems will de- toxic waste incinerator as undesirable will be critical in two years, when the out the Republican win in Montana, ,I termine, and perhaps rather quickly, the economic growth and threw out two Re- Legislatures re-draw congressional dis- fate of his administration. publican commissioners who supported tricts following the 1990 census. (Continued on page 16) UneR

2·Higb Country News - November 21, 1988 . - - .

Dear friends, were fighting for the middle seat. The person near the window, Ed said, must Elections get out to open and close ranchers' cattle It is with relief that we send you this gates; neither wanted to do that. 16-page issue. High Country News has HCN's readers must be out hunting not been 16 pages since late summer, or back at work, earning money for next and while staff doesn't mind producing year's trips. As a result, the flow of visi- the extra pages, we know it is a burden tors through the office has slowed, but on readers. not stopped. Don Bachmann of Ajo, There is also the matter of following Ariz., came through to say he has found orders. At a meeting in June 1987, staff HCN in libraries around the region. But was told by the High Country Founda- because he usually arrived late in the af- tion board of directors that less is more. ternoon, librarians tended to turn out the Were the paper to permanently increase lights before he could finish an issue. So its size, the board said, it might become he stopped by to subscribe. a grab bag, with staff substituting vol- Professional archaeologists Siste ume for judgment about what ought to" O'Malia and Tim Kearns of Farmington, appear in print. N.M., stopped by to donate to the Re- This is an issue on the elections in search Fund and to pick up a few of IIIGH COUNTRY NEWS (1SSN/019115657) the West. The campaign has been univer- HCN's diminishing stock of t-shirts, The Cathy Ciarlo Is published biweekly, except for one Issue during July and one Issue during January. sally described as disgusting and ener- couple has just finished their eighth sea- by the High Country Foundation, 124 vating. As a nation. we want OUf elec- son at the "Smithsonian's Stewart's Cattle keeps a pen, a handkerchief, and the Grand Avenue, Paonia, Colorado 81428. tions to replicate 1952, when a reserved Guard excavation in Colorado's San Luis day he visited us, a plastic bag. He Second-class postage paid at Paonia, Col- orado. - and scholarly Adlai Stevenson engaged a Valley. even found a piece of popcorn in POSTMASTER: Send address changes to reserved and soldierly Dwight Eisen- The site has one of the region's best- there. His artificial leg has a very so- IIIGIl COUNTRY NEWS, Box 1090. Paonia, hower. known remains of a Paleo-Indian. bison phisticated shock absorber. He has cut co 81428. Or perhaps we want elections to be kill, dating back 10,800 years. Tim says a slit in his. sponge-like foot for wear- , Tom Bell like our butcher shops. No one entering a band of Folsom Indians apparently am- ingthongs. EdUor EfIferllus ·the meat section of a supermarket would bushed a small herd of buffalo there, and He can do everything a normal Ed Marston guess that the packages of red and yel- then camped for some time to butcher person can do except that he can't run PubUsber low material had anything to do with an the meat, process the hides and refurbish as well. And then he added, "But animal. Writer Theodore Rozak tells their weapons and t()QIkits. that's okay because I never liked run- Betsy Marston Edllor how shocked his daughter was, on enter- Isabel and Stewart Mace from As- ning in the first place!" ing a European butcher shop, to see pen, Colo., dropped in on their way to a We like Mr. Wilson, for he is a Rocky Barker hanging carcasses and to realize that cat- meeting in Durango about sustainable very open and special person. C...lg Bigler Peter carrels tle don't give beef the way dairy cows agriculture. They also went off with Bruce FarUng give milk. HCN t-shirts, One of the things missing from Pat Ford We are like Mr. Rozak's daughter- Although he didn't come to our of- Jim Stlak smaIl towns is the question, "And what RegloflRl BureaJU distraught at our glimpse of how the fice. we did run into subscriber Bill do you do for a living? " That may be world works. Every four years those of Jones at a meeting of citizens who are at- because everyone knows what everyone C.L Rawlins us who have television sets or who read tempting to raise money to put 800 acres does for a living or because it's not con- Poetry Editor the newspapers are forced to realize of currently private land at the conflu- sidered to be very important. Had the in- Steve Hlnclunan elections are a blood and guts process ence of the nearby North Fork and Gun- terviewers asked Ralph that question, ReselWChlRepOrlheg which bear no resemblance to the civics nison rivers into the public domain. they would have been told that he is a Unda Bacigalupi lessons of the fourth grade .. Jones 'Was formerly a weatherman with second, or perhaps third. generation Developme1fl .Once the election is over. our noses the National Center for Atmospheric Re- fruirgrower who is now in partnership are rubbed into the fact that we are .search in Boulder. He recently retired to with his wife, Sharon. in the travel agen- wildly different from each other. Is there Cedaredge to raise fruit. cy business. In his spare time, he is a anyone among us who - upon seeing Father Syl Schoening came by to member of Delta County's five-person Peggy Robinson how his or her election precinct voted - subscribe. Syl is pastor to three flocks: school board. Grapbtcs!7Y/H!seUi.g did not 'say, "Is this the way my neigh- the Catholic churches in Paonia and Gretchen Nicholoff bors really think? Am I surrounded by nearby Hotchkiss, and to a pack of six New intern Proo.fretulblg such a bunch of nuts?" It's a bit like wolf- Malumet hybrids he uses to pull his Oaire Moore-MurrUl coming on a carcass in the Safeway - dog sled once snow is on the ground. He Our newest intern at High Country Bushtess/Proofreading shocking, but salutary. is also a key part of this operation, since News is Cathy Ciarlo, 22, of Denver, his churches periodically lend us their Colo . Becky Rumsey Redcolor • ProducllOfl/Darkroom/Cemerspreads church tables when we have large mail- After four years of studying the Our neighbors, for example, voted ings. abstract at Reed College in Portland, CathyOarlo by a large margin to make English the Ore., and earning a degree in English lit- Kevin Lopez Middle School Madness Tom Mullen official language of Colorado. No sooner erature, Cathy says she came to Paonia 1.tenu had that happened than a retired histori- Paonia is already something of a to take up more tangible issues. an, Abbott Fay, who formerly taught at publishing capital. The town of 1,400 But the West's environmental strug- Tom Bell, La.der WY MiChael Clark, Wasbiagto"IlC. Western State College, dropped off a re- has three newspapers: this one, the gles have proven all too real, she says, Lyon Dickey, SheridaN WY vised map of Colorado, or rather of weekly North Fork Times and High and now she eats, breathes and sleeps John Driscoll,llelerta MT "Redcolor," at our office. Michael Ehlers, Btntlder, CO Country Shopper. Now it has a new pa- back issues of HeN just to catch up. Jeff Fereday, BoIse ID Working feverishly, Fay had per, the Middle School Madness pro- A native Coloradoan drawn back by Tom France, Missoula MT changed the name of Cheyenne County duced by the Sixth Grade Discovery the mountains and wide open spaces, she Sally Gordon, Kaycu WY to Cut Anus, Yuma County to Tribe. the 8m Hedden, Moab UT Class taught by Dotsie Neill. says that working for the paper has given Dan Luecke, Boulder CO South Platte River to the South Flat Riv- In it are a series of profiles of resi- her an entirely new perspective on a Adam McLane, um- MT er. Otero County to Feather, Las Animas dents, including one of Ralph Wilsoo, place she thought she knew well, and a Herman Wal'S~Emlgralll MT Andy Wiessner, Deeoer CO County to The Souls, Dolores County to whom we remember coming La a Hal- reading list that extends well into the Robert WIgIngton. Boulder CO Sorrows, Conejos County to Rahbit, and loween party a few years ago as an ex- 21st century. Board of Directors Mesa Verde National Park to Green cellcnt Iikeness of Captain Hook. In their

Articles appearing in High Country Table National Park. Sangre de Cristo profile, the three sixth-grade writers - Correction News ace Indexed In Environmental Perl- Mountains has become Blood of Christ Connie Beard, Kelly Mattice and Crystal odtcats Bibliograpby, Environmental Stud- Mountains, and the Cache la Poudrc Riv- Sabatkc - wrote: The Sept. 26. 1988, issue of this pa- ies Institute, 2074 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa n.a rbara, Calffornta 93103. er has become the Powder Hideaway per carried a long aniclc by Deborah Ep- All rights to publication of arttcles- in this River. Mr. Ralph \\'ilson is a very nice stein Popper and Fronk J. Popper titled Issue ace reserved. Writefor permission to Fay apologized for not having and interesting person. He has lived in print any artiCles or Illustrations. Contribu- "The Fate of the Plains." Portions of the tions (manuscripts, photos, artwork) will changed all of the peaks and rivers yet, Paonia all his life, is married and has article had appeared earlier in Planning be welcomed wteh -:.,theunderstanding that bUIpromised to get to it soon. three sons. He likes various sports, magazine. copyright 1987 by the Ameri- the editors canngt. be held responsible for such as skiing and volleyball. loss or damage.' Enclose' a self-addressed can Planning Association, and were stamped envelope with all unsolicited sub- Nineteen years ago something reprinted with the association's penn is- Visitors • ' I. missions to ensure return. Articles and let. happened to Mr. Wilson· that changed sian. ters wlll be pubUshed and 'edited at the dls- In the last issue of this column, we his life dramatically. His left arm and crctlon of the editors. -Ed Marstonfor Advertising information Is avatlablc described a hunting-season killing that _leg were blown olf when he stepped on the staff upon request. To have a sample copy scnt took place on the main street of Paonia. a land mine during the Vietnam War. to a friend, send WIhis or her address. We said the shooting occurred because Wrke to Box 1090, Paonia, Colorado 81428. Now he wears an artificial arm and leg can #Igb CoNJIlry New. In Colorado at the two men involved each wanted the on that side of hi. body. The limbs are 303/527-4898. window seat of the pickup so they could very decorative, for the)" are made Subscriptions are $24 per year for IndI- shoot at deer from the vehicle. from flowered swimsuit material. viduals. $34 per year for institutions. Slng1e copies $1.00 plus JIOOIlllIC and handling. Ed Bliss, a businessman in Paonia, In the lower part of his artificial Spcclal158ues $3 each. tells us we got that wrong. He says they arm, he has a holl0lv spot and in it he \ i J LRT-8E-'V2

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HiglJ Country News - November 21, 1988-3

tight-lipped smile and said, "That's amazing." It may be difficult to imagine a sce- nario in which' the BLM. is roaming the desert butchering horses. But there are numerous people in wild-horse country who do not share a romanticized view of mustangs that is prevalent, perhaps, in urban areas. "They're nothing but a nuisance. All they do is eat all the food and break fences," said Frank Alcorta of Round Mountain. He is a miner who was raised on a ranch. "They oughta send all them horses over to Ethiopia and feed all them starving (people)." Still, Alcorta said, "I don't believe in shooting them. That's wrong. But the wild horses are a problem." The horse shootings, now declared the top law enforcement priority in Nevada, also pose something of a public relations problem for the state. "We're all sad to see this happen," . said Paulene Furr, a clerk at Austin's on- ly grocery store. "We have a lot more to offer than the killing of wild horses." Revelations about the shootings also come at a time when many thought progress was being made in the handling of the burgeoning mustang herds. Congress has allocated more money for the establishment of additional adoption centers, and humane organizations have donated lands in South Dakota for wild One of tbe borse carcasses found in Nevada horse sanctuaries. I But the long-standing dislike of many ranchers for the federal agency "goes back a long way," Bryan said. Wild horse killings are. stirring Nevada "I'm not sure how we're ever going to dispel that." AUSTIN, Nev. - Close to 500 wild pects, although local cattlemen are on wouldn't have that much money or The discovery of the dead horses horses have been shot and left to decay anyone's list of possibilities. time." near Ely had ominous implications. The in the Nevada desert over the last two Bob Hillman, field services director Johnson theorized that the-reason so site is about 100 miles away from the years, including II fresh kills found near for the Sacraruento, Calif-based Animal many horses have been found in clusters group of 73 dead horses that was found . Ely, Nev., in early October. Protection Institute, said, "j):verything is, "We had an exceptionally hard winter < •.• - .- ~\. 1 in August. Bryan believes more aerial re- ~.,'""",....,...... ,...... ~ The Bureau~'oi' Land Management points to the stockmen as far as I'm con- last year, and r think';' lot'of them could connaissance would .Iead to more grisly says it has leads, but no one has been cerned. have been winter-killed. They'd congre- discoveries. arrested yet. No forensic evidence has "If you look at where the horses are, gate in their little bands and stay there "If there was a little more flying in been released, although it is known that it tells me that the person who shot those and die." the other districts, we'd be filling in the no carcass had more than one bullet in it, horses did it as a very premeditated act. Johnson added, "I would like to see gaps," he said. and no automatic weapons were used. Someone spent a lot of time and effort. proof that they were all shot." Meanwhile, the reward offered for "I've never seen anything like it," Whoever did it knew the land (and) sys- The BLM's Bryan says Johnson's the horse killers has reached $20,500, said Rodger Bryan, a BLM wild horse tematically hunted them down near wa- winter-kill theory is not feasible. "Our with several groups contributing. Of the specialist based in Battle Mountaiu. ter holes." winter last year wasn't all that tough," he total, $5,000 was donated by the BLM, "We've found skeletons of mares that Vickie. Turner, executive secretary said. As for evidence of shootings, making this the "first time that they've were pregnant at the time they were shot. for the Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Bryan acknowledged that BLM hasn't offered a reward for anything," accord- The bones of the foals are right there in- said, "We do not in any way condone performed autopsies 'on many of the ing to Bryan. side." any act that would result iu the death of a horses, but he said they are not necessary One hope is that because there are There are about 25,000 wild horses feral horse." to determine whether a horse has been probably several killers, someone will in Nevada, and 3,000 are in Bryan's Turner added that the BLM has not shot. Metal detectors have recovered break. "Sooner or later, someone is go- management area. He says more carcass- managed wild horses very well. "There's bullets at some of the sites, Bryan point- ing to turn in someone for the money," es keep turning up, with the count in late more than a stable herd number. It's ed out. the Animal Protection Institute's Hill- October standing at 480. growing by leaps and bounds." She Johnson, a self-described long-term man predicted. The BLM declines to single out sus- added that stockmen would like 'the critic of the BLM, also leveled a charge - Barry Noreen BLM to regulate wild horses the way that has been repeated on the streets of they do cattle. Battle Mountain and Austin recently: Barry Noreen" is environment writer Most of the dead horses found have "I'm not sure the BLM didn't do it them- for the Gazelle Telegraph in Colorado been in areas so remote that it is incon- selves." Springs. This story was paid for by the cei vable they were shot from four- To· that charge, Bryan managed a High Country News Reasearch Fund. wheel-drive vehicles. Even with the aid of such a vehicle and the BLM's topo- graphical maps, it is no easy task to find the carcasses. Consequently, certain conclusions seem inescapable. The killers probably use horses, helicopters or all-terrain ve- WILD HORSE hicles to chase their quarry. And because the horses have been found across hun- dreds of square miles of public lands, it KILLERS seems doubtful that just one or two per- IT'S A FEDERAL CRIME! IT IS PUNISHABLE BY FINES sons are responsible. AND IMPRISONMENT. "There's a network, a grapevine sit- Rewards Payable for Information Leading to the uation among the ranchers," Hillman Arrest and Conviction of the Perpetrators. speculated. "They've had those grazing 'perrniis' so 'long they consider the land Ifyou have information, Call: theirs. They consider you and me inter- ,WASHOE COUNTY SECRET WITNESS lopers." (702) 322-4900 Rancher Dean Johnson owns a graz- Reward offers have been posted by the Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild ing permit in the area near where many Horses and other participating organizations. of the horses have been found. He rejects This Notice prepared by: ANIMAL PROTECTION INSTITUTE the notion that ranchers are to blame. 2831 Fruitridge Road· P.O. Box 22505 BLM wild borse specialist . "I haven't (shot horses), although Sacramento, CA 95822 Rodger Bryan I've been accused of it," Johnson said. "I (916) 731-5521 4-Higb Country News.--November 21, 1988 HOTLINE River dredging turns into a federal case An EPA decision in Colorado to en- merits and can have a very adverse effect happened to us." force the Clean Water Act has red to a on fish." It does not even guarantee that It is the threat of backlash to the per- standoff with ranchers. Last May the En- stream banks will be stabilized, he mitting system that concerns Sen. Tim vironmental Protection Agency sent a added. Wirth, D-Colo. He became involved af- notice of violation to four ranchers near The ranchers, Larry, Dennis and ter the ranchers contacted him and Rep. Carbondale, Colo., after they bulldozed Nile Gerbaz, Robert Nieslink and the Ben Nighthorse Campbell, D-Colo., over the Roaring Fork River. Fearing flood- Ranch at Roaring Fork, say they tried to a month ago. Wirth and Campbell, ing, the ranchers had dredged without an get a 404 permit back in November strong proponents of the Clean Water Army Corps of Engineers permit, re- 1985, but were turned down. "They said Act, initiated an inquiry with the EPA. quired under section 404 of the Clean it would not be in the public interest to Their staffers say the officials think the Water Act. dredge," said Dennis Gerbaz in an inter- river needs to be restored but are also The EPA has now served notice to view. "The whole point is, what were we concerned about the cost to the ranchers. the ranchers that they must restore the supposed to do? Watch our land get "We're concerned with a public re- river to the condition it was in before the swept away, or operate without a 404? It lations disaster if it looks like a big fed- dredging. So far, the ranchers refuse to was a major decision we had to make." eral bureaucratic agency is going after comply, and the EPA has referred the The ranchers decided to dredge ille- small landowners," said Alan Salazar, a matter to the Justice Department for en- gally. According to Brad Miller of the spokesman for Wirth. forcement. The ranchers could face stiff EPA; unpermitted dredging in the area is The elected officials are now trying fines - up to $25,000 for each day they not unusual. To the ranchers who face to create an ad hoc group composed of refuse to restore the river. penalties, EPA enforcement seems un- different federal, state and local agencies The ranchers say they had to dredge fair. to resolve the controversy. In a recent the river to clear rocks 'and stabilize its "They wanted to come down hard, letter addressing the situation, the con- flow. to prevent flooding from spring to make an example of us, because they gressmen said that litigation may be runoff. "If we didn't dredge, we would know people along this stretch have costly and time-consuming for all in- lose land through erosion, and some of done the same before without a permit," volved, with appeals dragging on while our property would be flooded," said said Gerbaz. "But it backfired on them. the river remains unrestored. rancher Dennis Gerbaz. But EPA attor- The 404 permit is in jeopardy now. I ney Bruce Ray says, "This type of activi- don't think any property owner will ty is harmful to a river.: It stirs up sedi- . think of applying for a 404 after what -Tom Mulien Newspaper Rock, Utah Navajo newspaper Proposed coal mine is fought tenaciously faces uncertain future In an era when environmental dis: creeks for spawning grounds. Increases river. The serious threats in the mine putes are marked by their divisive na- Navajo Tribal Chairman Peter Mc- in sediment and algae, as well as toxic could have a worldwide impact," ture. a rare exception came recently in Donald says he wants the tribe's official levels of nirorgen compounds borne by Schwinden said. Somers, Mont. There more than two paper to become independent. The paper the mine, would all but eliminate these The governor also urged reciprocal dozen people appeared before the Inter- has had a rocky existence. Without fish from the streams, which account for cooperation on an issue that's long net- national Joint Commission to speak: out warning last year, McDonald closed the 10 percent of the Flathead Basin's bull tled Canadians: acid rain. "If the integri- against the proposed Cabin Creek coal Navajo Times Today, touching off trout. An even greater concern noted by ty of the North Fork area is important mine in British Columbia, roughly six charges of censorship and demonstra- the report is the potential failure of a set- enough to recommend the scuttling .of a miles northwest of Glacier National tions for freedom of the press (l-I CN; tling or tailing pond, which could have coal mine in a foreign country, the Unit- Park. 3/16/87). T~e paper .reopened later that catastrophic effects downstream. ed States must weigh just as seriously "1 don't know of anything else in the year as a weekly with new management The report, however, has drawn Canadian requests-to reduce- the nitrogen Flathead Valley where there is this much and staff. Now McDonald says, "Our some criticism from environmentalists. and sulfur compounds emitted from consensus," said Ed Brannon, Flathead newpaper will never be independent as Sandy Mcintyre, associate director of the many U.S. coal-fired generating sta- National Forest supervisor. long as the tribal government is footing Wilderness Society's northern Rockies tions," he said. At the Sept. 22 hearing, Brannon the bill," reports the Apache Scout, a office. said the report was marred be- At this point Sage Creek, a sub- was one of numerous federal, state, tribal newpaper on the nearby Fort Apache cause it was based on Sage Creek's con- sidiary of Canada's mining mammoth and local officials to testify against the Reservation. Addressing the Arizona ceptual design. Rio Algom Mines, is a coal company in mine. Joining public officials were envi- Newspaper Association last summer, "It is futile to try to assess with any , name only. It has no employees. A, ronmentalists and area residents in an at- McDonald said he'd like to see two or degree. of confidence the environmental severely depressed coal market may tack on the massive project that seems to three independent Navajo newspapers impacts of a project of this magnitude have temporarily shelved the company's have few friends on either side of the and more Native American journalists at without a detailed, specific mine de- plans for Cabin Creek. But if the compa- work. border. A similar hearing in Cranbrook, sign," Mcintyre told the commissioners. ny gains approval for the mine now, it B.C., also drew primarily opponents to Another criticism voiced by McIn- could forge ahead in better economic the project. tyre and others was that the report's con- times. For that reason, environmentalists, The Cabin Creek mine has vexed clusions were derived from inadequate public officials and residents hope to conservationists since the early 1970s information, something which the board maintain their VIgilance in their long when exploration in the coal-rich area itself repeatedly recognized. While ac- fight against the mine. began. In 1984, the provincial govern- knowledging that the commission is "In the lower 48, this is the best of ment in Victoria gave a preliminary go- bound by treaty to limit itself to water is- what we have left," said Thurman Tros- ahead to Sage Creek Coal Ltd. to operate sues, Mcintyre urged both governments per, the former chairman of the Flathead a twin-pit coal mine and processing plant. to study a variety of other concerns, Coalition, an umbrella group united at a site within a mile of the North Fork ranging from the mine's impacts on en- against the mine. "And we would like to of the Flathead River, which forms dangered species to its effect on air qual- keep it that way." Glacier's western boundary downstream. ity. To resolve the issue, thelnternation- After B.C.'s initial approval of the pro- Montana's Gov. Ted Schwinden al Joint Commission has three options. It ject, the U.S. government requested an called on Sage Creek to look for coal in could deny or approve the mine - and investigation by the International Joint a less environmentally sensitive area. possibly launch a legal battle - or it Commission, the body that studies wa- IJID But if the Cabin Creek coal must be could call for additional study. The latter ter-related conflicts along the border. In mined, he said, it should be governed by seems the most likely, for there are many Animal BiU of Rights the spring of 1985, the commission cre- a specific international treaty that would unanswered questions and issues yet to Living conditions for farm animals ated the Flathead River International include the power to close the mine if be addressed. Study Board, which released a seven- in Sweden will take a turn for the better problems arose. -Michael Kustudia in coming years, thanks to the efforts of volume report in July, Schwinden also reminded the com- animal-rights activists and a writer of Based on conceptual plans submit- mission of the special designations children's books. Astrid Lindgren, ted by Sage Creek, the operation would placed on the North Fork and Glacier BAPtBS author of the 'Yell-known Pippi Long- mine more than 2 million tons of high- . National Park. In 1976, Congress classi- quality bituminous coal annually for 21 stocking series, 'spearheaded a movement fied the North Fork as a wild and scenic Running a weapons plant is like . years, though experts estimate there are that has' resulted in a stringent law that river, and the United Nations Education- opening a Christmas present. enough reserves for an additional 20 forbids; tethering. pigs. and confining al; Sc:\enlJfiCrand Cultural Organization Despite negligent management of ~f mining. A \v(Mi'f6ic~i~f rough: chickens, grants· cows grazing rights and . 'y~' designated Glacier as a biosphere re- the Savannah River Plant that.resulted in Iy 500 people would run the operation, bans the use of drugs and steroids except serve. Glacier-Waterton has been nomi- a halt to the manufacture of nuclear covering more than six square miles in to treat disease. Lindgren's satirical alle- nated as a UNESCO World Heritage weapons, manager Robert Morgan re- an area now home to grizzlies, wolves gories underscored the plight of farm Site, though Canada has withheld its por- ceived $59,750 in awards for "excel- and bull trout. animals andfueled the animal welfare tion of the nomination pending the com- lence" from the Energy Department this The- study board report found that campaign, the New YorkTimes reports. pletion of the Cabin Creek study. year. AP reports that Energy Secretary the mine's greatest impact would be on Despite some protests that food prices "We are not merely debating local John Herrington defended the award, bull trout, large and powerful fish that would go up, the Swedish Parliarnent concerns over just another mining ven- saying, "Government salaries are too ·easily passed the new law. rely- on Cabin and neighboring Howell ture adjacent to a pristine northwestern low." .\I I High Country News -. November 21, 1988-5 Kilowatts zap fish in Columbia River basin HOTLINE ...:;:r------"'::"'"----, A second year of drought and an un- So far, the fall has been as dry as the ~ cooperative federal agency combined to summer, and, with reservoirs at record ~ make 1988 a bad year for salmon and lows, only a snowpack well above aver- '~~ steelhead in the upper Columbia River age will keep next year from being even ... basin. worse. Steve Pettit explains: "There's 1 Each year juvenile salmon and steel- language in the Power Council's pro- ~ head, called smolt, migrate from Idaho's gram saying that if we get a third year of ~ Salmon and Clearwater river drainages drought, then there won't be any water downstream through the Snake and budget. So we may have nothing at all to Columbia rivers to the Pacific Ocean. supplement the natural flows." Those that make it, and then survive two For the fish agencies and tribes, the to four years ranging the ocean, return drought is occurring against a back- upstream as adults to spawn the next ground of decreasing support for.fish mi- generation. The two migrating groups - gration among the federal agencies that smolt heading to the ocean and adults re- control Columbia and Snake river man- turning from it - confront eight dams agement. and a series of slackwater reservoirs on Despite a direct congressional order their journey. to do so, the Corps refuses to construct Idaho fishermen focus on the adults. fish bypass systems at two dams, Ice But fishery managers watch the smolt; Harbor and the Dalles, whose present their survival rate largely determines the systems just don't work. future adult returns. The Corps also recently walked "Adopted" caribou killed "1988 was a bad year for smolt sur- away from negotiations on a long-term vival, no better and probably worse than spill agreement. Those talks among the The poaching of a m~untain caribou 1987," says Michelle DeHart of the Fish fish agencies and tribes, regionaL utilities in Washington state has angered federal Salmon figbts its way upstream Passage Center, which oversees fish pas- and Bonneville Power Administration and local agencies, plus a lot of children: sage for the Indian tribes and state fish dam. Wild fish arrive more uniformly were begun at the Power Council's re- Earlier this fall, the Idaho Fish and agencies of the Columbia basin. "We over the season, so most of them don't quest to achieve a lasting framework for Game Association transported 24 of the don't make specific survival estimates get help. assisting fish passage with spilled water endangered species - only some 2,000 - you have to make too many assump- The drought's lesson, says DeHart, when necessary. The talks continue, but still exist - from Ii-ritish Columbia to tions - but our judgment is that adult is that "the 'water budget' does not and the Corps, which runs the key dams in- the Selkirk Mountains In northern Idaho. returns in 1990 and 1991 will be low." cannot provide needed fish flows." But volved, says it will not be bound by any Children became involved when schools The reason was too little water the water budget is the heart of the outcome. from around the state "adopted" a cari- pushing the smolt downstream. "The Northwest Power Planning Council's The disagreement is basic. The bou by giving it a name and coloring a flows were just so low," DeHart says. program to restore salmon and steelhead agencies and tribes believe good fish radio collar. The children then followed "We approached 90,000 cubic feet per runs basinwide. It allots fish agencies passage requires both a trueking/barging the animals by plotting their movements second in the lower Snake only one day and tribes some 450,000 acre-feet of wa- program and an in-river program of ade- on maps. On Oct. 25, a radio collar from all year." The tribes and agencies consid- ter in Snake reservoirs, which is then re- quate flows and bypass facilities. The a caribou named Toodo was found on the er 90,000 cfs a minimum in the Snake leased on request of the Fish Passage Corps believes trucking and barging ground, and a cut-off, tagged ear was system from mid-April through June for Center. should be the whole program. So far, de- discovered nearby. To locate the poach- good smolt passage. This year flows This year, all that water was used in spite order from a presumed higher au- ers, Idaho Fish and Game has already were usually at 40,000 cfs or lower. six days and still only provided a 90,000 thority - Congress ~ the Corps has had collected over $2,000 in reward money,

The Army Corps of November 21, 1988 Bureaucratic slip allows construction in a wilderness

If the value of hindsight is in the of water. He now plans to sell the water That 40·acre piece of ground has caused ing people to use the public domain by lessons it offers, the story of Jasper Dam for over $1 million to some thirsty Front as much trouble as any other on the for- giving away private property. Congress is worth telling. Range city. est." has gradually repealed nearly all such In 1896, pioneers of Colorado's sys- 1]1e Sierra Club, which is active in She said the dam had been built and laws, but property rights created before tem of water works built a small reser- Boulder, pressured the Forest Service to rebuilt several times, and in the process repeal still exist. The recent lawsuit over voir on public land in the mountains fight Wittemyer. "We wanted (the agen- its purpose changed from agricultural the Burr Trail in Utah involved a nearly above Boulder, Colo., which served irri- cy) to say the Wilderness Act supersedes storage to hydroelectricity. A 1939 Fed- identical sort of easement, and conserva- gators downstream. They claimed a and overshadows the easement. This was eral Power Commission license should tionists lost a legal battle to invalidate right-of-way under provisions of an 1866 the perfect place to flex some muscle," have converted the old easement to a that property right. mining law. Then Congress designated said Tina Arapkiles of the club's Boulder non-transferable, revocable license. The Arapkiles thinks the Forest Service the lands surrounding the reservoir a office. government and power company , should make an effort in its next plan- , national forest in 1907, and an official Last summer, she added, "Choppers assumed that had occurred. It took a trip ning cycle to identify all the remaining wilderness in 1978. were flying in there every three minutes. to the National Archives in Washington private easements and then make efforts Now, the Indian Peaks Wilderness is It was grim." Wiuemyer housed the con- to show that Jasper Dam was left off of to acquire them, especially in wilderness one of the most popular recreation spots struction crew in metal trailers placed in that permit. areas. "Sure it would cost a lot of money, in the nation. Yet last June the Forest the middle of the valley. Arapkiles and Cheever note that but it would be worth it." Service could do nothing to stop renova- District ranger Michelle Nolde easements based on the 1866 mining law tion and reconstruction of the dam and a reported that by late September Witte- are common throughout the West. Their decaying road into the dramatic Devil's myer had removed the trailers and presence is based on policies encourag- -Gary Sprung Thumb valley. applied a Forest Service seed mixture to The saga began when the state engi- the road and dam. Eventually, she said, neer declared the dam unsafe. Instead of the dam "will look like a pile of rocks repairing the structure, the owner, Public with dirt and grass. It will look more nat- Service Co. of Colorado, decided to give ural than before." HOTLINE the property to the Forest Service. But Sierra Club volunteer Marty Walters the Forest-Service believed that the dam said that despite Wittemyer 's attempts to Land swaps benefit public lands in two states existed by virtue of nothing more than a revegetate tile road. deep ruts remain in A private conservation group has The Bureau of Land Management special use permit, and it maintained that 'alpine meadows near the Continental added 2,852 acres to New Mexico's Or- announced plans to acquire mineral Public Service was obligated to return Divide. gan Mountain preserve. The Nature Con- rights to 141,500 acres of land in and the property to its natural state. Because the agency recognized the servancy, Bureau of Land Management around the Grand Canyon in western In refusing the offer, the agency legal power of a valid right, it did not try and the A. B. Cox family recently corn- Arizona. The swap would give Santa Fe thought it was saving $20,000 to to stop the project. It did try to acquire it. pleted a transaction that will bring envi- Pacific Minerals Corp. of Albuquerque, $30,000. Public Service, too, evidently They tried to negotiate with Wittemyer ronmentally sensitive land in the heart of N.M., mineral rights to a same-sized believed it owned no real title to Jasper "right up until he poured concrete," the Organ Mountains under BLM juris- package of land elsewhere in Arizona. Dam. - Nolde said. The Sierra Club tried to diction. The Nature Conservancy paid The exchange has delighted environmen- Boulder water lawyer John Witte- assist that process and even brought in the family over $3 million for the Cox talists and the Park Service, as both have myer knew better. For generations his the Trust for Public Land. But in the end, Ranch near Las Cruces, N.M., home to wanted to block mining near the canyon family owned an inholding a short dis- Wittemyer's price was too high. (John at least four endangered plant species for years. "1 applaud the BLM on this," tance from the dam. After Public Service Wiuemyer refused to be interviewed for and several "mini-riparian" areas. The Rob Smith of the Sierra Club told the accepted his purchase offer of $50,000, this article.) ranch was then traded to the BLM for Arizona Republic. Since most of the he told the Forest Service that he had Some conservationists say the For- parcels, of land near several cities in rights are underneath land in 12 areas be- purchased a private' property right that est Service should have known better. southern New- Mexico. These lands will ing studied for wilderness designation by

pre-dated the national forest and'wilder- . One clue was a clause in the Colorado, be sold to individuals and businesses to the BLM, the trade could help convince r-: ness restrictions. Wilderness Act of 1978 that refers to the defray the cost of the Cox Ranch pur- Congress to adopt a new wilderness bill The agency scrambled to contest his right of the owner of Jasper Reservoir to chase. The conservancy's Bill Depuys for the state next year, Smith said. claim but ultimately concluded he was use motor vehicles for maintenance. says it's a "win-win" situation. "The Na- . right Last summer, Wittemycr rebuilt Nolde defends her agency, noting, ture Conservancy sees valuable land pro- the dam at a cost of $186,000, thereby ''This was by far the most complex, con- tected, the BLM fills out its Organ maintaining a right to store 326 acre-feet fusing issue I've ever been involved in. Mountain holdings and the city of Las Crucesgets a commons for its citizens." BOOK NOTES A call to set the West to rights

Big Sky, Fair Land formative years along Montana's Rocky exhaustible," writes Guthrie. Mountain Front. In subsequent chapters Today we know differently. The lim- A.B: Guthrie, Jr. David Petersen, edi- Petersen deftly sets the stage by illustrat- its of the land's yield are well-defined ing environmental themes culled from tor. Northland Press. P.O. Box N, yet the demands placed upon it have not Guthrie's novels. Beginning with The been scaled back accordingly. Anger and Flagstaff. AZ 86002.1988.187 pages. Big Sky. published in 1947, Guthrie frustration ring loudly in Guthrie's writ- $1l.95, paper. chronicled the settling of the West, ings: "You look at the evidence, and you specifically Montana. in a series of six cry out in grief, in dismay and outrage, ~eview by Michael Kustudia novels. The Way West, the second in the and your voice is -lost to the winds of series, garnered Guthrie the Pulitzer money and greed. It is a whisper in the "In the beginning was the Word, and Prize in 1950. mad clatter of coin and machinery." the Word was Change." ' Underlying Guthrie's literary ac- Still, Guthrie is hopeful. He calls for That epigraph, A.B. Guthrie: Jr. 's count of Western history is the theme a rekindling of the "old, bold American twist on the Book of John, opens Big that growth has inevitably brought de- spirit," once used to exploit, but now Sky, Fair Land, a collection of Guthrie's struction to the land and way of life that employed lO set straight the damages of TJu Environmental Esst1ys of environmental writings. With a perspec- lured people West. Mountain men lived the past and to preserve "what remains tive that stretches back over 80 years, untrammeled in the wilderness, and yet of the old riches." That, Guthrie says, Guthrie has seen a good deal of the dam- they decimated the beaver and opened would be progress. age change has brought to the West un- the way for settlement. In the pioneer Although many of the essays center 11ft fall ~IiIt, Ii fl der the misnomer of progress. era, damage came through the innocent, on Montana, they could well apply lO all "It is not until age begins to cast if not ignorant, hunger of an expanding the West with its shared history of settle- Edded In; David Pi'icrseri back, to remember what was as against young country. ment and exploitation. Guthrie speaks to what is, that doubts and regrets and de- "And here, sure enough, in our de- us in a down-to-earth voice on an array those who share Guthrie's VIsion of grees of nostalgia set in, that the bright veloping years as a nation.was a.'~€{w.-;; Of subjects- ranging from birth control to progress, his sense of place and his de- face of change starts to lose its luster," world made for man, a world rich be- ' ' grizhy-,bcili's.:jTaken together, these 'es- sire to see it go on, Big Sky, Fair Land is he writes. yond belief, a world of endless opportu- says form a mosaic that reveals the envi- a singing affirmation and a heartfelt call This collection of 22 essays, some nity and promise. So we mined the land, ronmental ethic of a man with profound (or action. that date back to the late 1930s, has been felled the timber and dug the metals, all concern for his homeland. compiled by David Petersen, a Colorado with extravagance; knowing that over Much like his contemporary and o writer "and senior editor for Mother the next hill were virgin acres, stands of friend Bernard DeVOlO,Guthrie speaks a Earth News. Petersen, unabashed in his timber and likely strikes. And so it was truth that many Westerners, hidebound in Michael Kustudia is a freelance admiration for Guthrie, provides a bio- - that we pillaged a continent and thrived the notion that unceasing growth equals writer in Whitefish, Montana, and for- graphical sketch that examines Guthrie's in the process, forgetting that the earth is progress, may find, un\l3latabl

High Country News .. November 21,1988-7

ACCESS GREATER YEUOWSTONE SEMINAR ~!!!~~~=!::=~!!!!!!!~ NEAT SniFF A TRAVELLING ACTIVIST Papers are being solicited for a sympo- The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives sium on land and resource management in the GRIZZLY TRACK - Front paw print of a large Grizzly handsomely cast in stoneware. [0 Pesticides, which fights the use of danger- greater Yellowstone ecosystem, sponsored by Hang on wall, set on table, or a great: Christ- . ous chemicals in the Pacific Northwest, has the University of Wyoming and set for April mas gift (next day shipping). Call or write for added a, new member to its staff. He is Tom 13 - 15. The deadline for abstracts is Jan. IS, more info. $21.00 postpaid. Check or Lamar of Moscow, Idaho, who will travel 1989', and topics can include ecology and fu- through Montana, Washington, Idaho and ture of bears in the greater Yellowstone area, Bankcard accepted. Masterpiece Creations- Oregon to coordinate a support group for wolf reintroduction, federal, state and private Box 2294, Kalispell, MT 59901 (406/257· 0820). (3x21p) people opposed to the misuse of pesticides. land-use policies, ungulate ecology and over- NCAP says Lamar will lead training sessions, grazing, fire management and alternative vi- HIGH COUNTRY TOURING AND TELE· provide technical information about the sions for the Yellowstone region. For more MARK SKIING without backpacks. We are chemicals and offer advice on organizational information, write Robert B. Keiter, College the sole inhabitants of central Idaho's strategies. For-more information, call NCAP of Law, or Mark S. Boyce, Zoology and, Gospel-Hump National Wilderness from at 503/344~5044 or contact Lamar directly at Physiology Dept., University of Wyoming, Nov.- JW1e.If you would like to ski this mag- Box 8801, Moscow, ID 83843 (208/882· Laramie, WY 820"71, 307/776·5105 or nificent 200,OOO-acrealpine wilderness with 9532). 307(166·5373respectively. us, drop us a line. Buffalo Hump Lodge, P.O. 303, Elk City, 10 83525; 2081842-2220. NEW NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE (4x2Op) A new l6-page magazine called New BED AND BREAKFAST 17 miles from Mexico Resources, published by New Mexico Hells Canyon, in a 1910 fa.m1house on 42 State University's College of Agriculture and acres of land: The Birch Leaf Lodge, Home Economics, debuted this fall with a Halfway, OR 97834; 503n42-2990, 503/297· SAVING THE LAND feature story on the nearly extinct Mexican 6071. (2x2Op) . A new project launched by the Jackson gray wolf. "Wolves on the (missile) range!" CLASSIFIED ADS cost 30 cents per word, Hole- Land Trust ~atches scenic land in the ; discusses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's pre-paid, $5 minimum. General rates for dis- area with buyers who want to enhance that controversial plan to reintroduce the Mexican play are $8/column inch if camera-ready; value. The Land Trust calls it the Conserva- wolf to the White Sands Missile Range in $lO/column inch if we make up. tion Buyer Project, and it contacts people na- southern New Mexico. Fewer than 50 wolves tionwide who might want to buy large tracts remain in the wild in Mexico, and time is GRO~ of land and protect them through conserva running out for the 31 animals in captivity. DAKOTA RURAL ACTION, based in tion easements. The Land Trust says it has al- Wolves need to live in their natural habitat to Brookings, S.D., is hiring a communiryorga- -, ready worked with 15 realtors from eight breed successfully. Reintroduction, however, nizcr to work with farmers, ranchers. church firms. It has also produced a brochure and has met with stiff opposition from the New BRIGHT EYES AND BIRDS and small business people on agricultural, short video that describes the aesthetic and Mexico livestock industry. Subscriptions to American Indians watched birds and apt- economic development and natural resource wildlife values of the Jackson Hole region. the tri-annual magazine are free from Agri- ly named them for their traits: "Making- Big issues. Starting salary is $13,000 annually, For more information about the project, or to cultural Information, New Mexico State Uni- Noise For Its Size" for the wren, or plus benefits. Application deadline is Dec. 5, obtain the video or brochure, contact the pro- versity, Box 30003, Dept. 3AI, Las Cruces, "Lovesick" for the red-tailed hawk. But not 1988. Send resume and two writing samples ject director, Story Clark, at the Jackson Hole NM 88003. until white men began making lists of the to Dakota Rural Action, Box 549. Brookings, Land Trust, P.O. Box 2897, Jackson, WY birds they observed did the modern bird- SD 57006 (605/697-5204). (2xb) 83001 (307{133-4707). watcher evolve. In A World of Watchers, for- mer Life magazine editor Joseph Kastner tells THEY'RE SIGNING UP an "informal history of the American passion More than 5,000 people in western Col- for birds." Henry Ford's first memory, for ex- orado have signed a petition opposing a pro- ample, was being taken "to see a bird's nest JOB-SCA" posal to build a radioactive waste dump at under a big oak.." President Theodore Roo- Uravan. It is being circulated by Western THERE ARE JOBS sevelt was an avid birder and once remarked, Colorado Congress, and it says the proposed - -"...,: -x. WORKING IN THE --- "People looking into the White House repository for radium soil wastes- from Den- ,....-...../~:<7 <_ ENVIRONMENT! grounds and seeing me stare into a tree, no ver is unsafe and unwanted. The petition adds OREGON BALLYHOOS ITS WILDLIFE doubt thought me insane." that it is not smart to truck radioactive wastes From sea lions and cormorants to rat- Sierra Club Books, 730 Polk St., San Are you looking for a job ... "over crooked mountain roads and water- (75-100 environmental/resource tlesnakes and loons, wildlife is abundant in Francisco, CA 94109. Paper: $10.95. 241 ways." For more information about the peti- management jobs monthly) Oregon. To tell travelers where to go to see pages. Illustrated from the classic work of tion, contact Western Colorado Congress, animals, Oregon created a guide for viewing Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Are you looking for an P.O.Box 472, Montrose, CO 81402 (303[249· employee ... wildlife at 123 areas. The project's center- 1978). (It's FREE 10 list with USI) piece is an 80-page, full-color booklet called HIGH MOUNJAlN HUTS Oregon Wildlife Viewing Guide, and it pro- . Six new backcountry cabins high in the • 00 you want to advertise YOl!rprogram or company ... vides directions to each of the sites and infor- mountains near Vail. Colo., have been given .. (national, monthly coverage) mation on tourist facilities near them. The the go-ahead by the Forest Service. The huts guide caters to everyone interested in seeing for cross country skiiers will be built in the • Does your organization need animals in their natural habitat, from those next few years by the 10th Mountain Trail membership benefits ... (reduced bulk rates available) who want to stay in a car to those willing to Association of Aspen, which already owns hike miles into Oregon's backcountry. Com- and operates six cabins in the same region. RATES: piled by environmentalists, business leaders The new cabins will be built between West 6-months/$22, 1·year/$39 and public officials, the guide has been pub- Lake Creek trail and Vail, linking up with Call or write: Single Issue/$4 lished by Defenders of Wildlife, a Washing- two cabins that were .built between Vail and Linda Rounds, Editor c/o Student ton, ·b.C.-based wildlife conservation organi- Tennessee Pass this summer. The 10tO-Moun- Conservation Association zation. To obtain a copy, which costs $5.50, tain Trail Association of Aspen has complet- POBox550~HC contact Defenders of Wildlife, 333 S. State ed reconnaissance for the hut sites and trails Charlestown, NH 03603 (603) 826-5741 Street, Suite 173, Lake Oswego, OR 97034. and will join the San Isabel National Forest in completing the plans. For more informa- SHANDOKA tion on the trail and huts, contact the 10th Shandoka, the Ute word for Storm Maker, Mountain Trail Association, 1280 Ute is the name of a new literary and arts journal Avenue, Aspen, CO 81611 (303;')25-4554). that covers the Four Comers area of Col- SAVE THE TURTLES orado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Es- A teacher at a middle school in Durango, tablished this year as a quarterly by editors Colo., has written a book for young adults Jeri McAndrews and Catherine Alelyunas, that combines an environmental theme with the journal offers southwestern poetry, short the drama of a family in crisis. It is called stories, art and interviews as a "forum for Changes in Latitudes, set in Mexico. The ecological affirmation." The fall issue fills 33 conflict and interesting ending concern en- pages and sells for $3.50. If you'd like to dangered sea turtles. Will Hobbs writes that submit stories, drawings, photos or to sub- he grew up in an Air Force family, mostly in scribe, write Shandoka, Box 1103, Telluride, Alaska and Texas, and that he and his wife CO 81435. try to spend as much time on the rivers and in canyons and mountains of the Southwest. 1 'Tfie 'WEJ Why turtles? "Turtles were one of the reasons ::::;;;:. I was so fond of Texas. A few months after The Western Envirorunental •..•..Jobletter is an environmentalist's we arrived, 'Hurricane Carla's heavy rains flushed the turtles onto the sidewalks, and I employment directory listing jobs found knew I was in paradise." Seeing a display of in western North Amcrican bioregions. dead sea turtles in an airport - complete *(But it also offers philosophical discourse with turtle oil products - was another trig, in support of Grandmother Earth). For a ger in choosing his subject. As for writing, backissue send a 25¢ stamp or for free the teacher says it is much "like hauling information on how to subscribe, write: rocks - which I enjoy." Macmillan Publishing, 866 Third Ave., New York, NY' 10022. 162 pages. Cloth: 513.95. Une R...... ". T-vet LRT

8-Hlgh Country News --November 21, 1988

PUBLISHERS CIRCLE PATRON

Leonard R. Sargent Bruce Berger C01Win Springs, Montana Aspen, Colorado

Alice F. Bronsdon ASSOCIATE Rawlins, Wyoming

Robert and Charlotte Uram Ralph E. Clark, III San Francisco, California Gunnison, Colorado

BENEFACTOR Marian M. Fick Ouray, Colorado Robert B. Betts, Jr. Dubois, Wyomi'lg John F. Freeman Laramie, Wyoming Joan and Bruce Hamilton Berkeley, Califomia Ken Garnauf Boulder: Colorado- Dave and May Raynolds Lander, Wyoming Jane Gilsinger Bailey, Colorado Michael Ehlers Boulder, Colorado James Harrison Denver, Colorado .SPONSOR Bill Jochems Redstone, Colorado Stasia W. Davison Engleurood, Colorado M. Gale Morgan Dural/go, Colorado John T. Decker Fort Collins, Colorado David H. Olson Mr. and Mrs. Walter S. Rosenberry, III Portland, Oregon Englewood, Colorado . John Osborn Mr. and Mrs. Walter Spofford Spokane, vvashinoton Portal, Arizona Marith Reheis J. Kirk Thompson Golden, Colorado Steveusville, Montana National Audubon Society Stephen Gerdes Rocky Mountain Regional Office Littleton, Colorado Boulder, Colorado

Elinor K. Willis Myrtle Ross West HaoenvConnccticut Eckert, Colorado

Margaret D. Hayden Zelda Rouillard Evergreen, Colorado Gunnison, Colorado

Jim BeIsey Lowell E. Swenson Bozeman, Montana Clenurcod. Springs, Colorado

Howard and Mary Alice Evans Anne Vickery Cbimney sweep In Missioula; Montana Livennore, Colorado Boulder, Colorado James B. Felton Kevin Ward HeN St. George, Utah Cascade, Idaho Hats Off to Research Fund

John and Edna Good, Kent Wheeler contributorsfrom Moose, Wyomitlg Salt Lake Citl}, Wah

Barbara Haas Lawrence P. Hartlaub -Roundicp, Round Mountain, Washington, DC Gralll,y, Colorado R.L. and Frances Lattere ll William E. Scott Salt Flat, Hurricane, Arden, Sheperdstown, West Yirgil1ia Battleground, Washillgtoll

Christi Northrop Helen Traylor Arden, New York Grand [unction, Colorado Hite, Wayzata, Cuba ...

Milton L. Allen Susan Tweit and Richard Cabe WilHam C. and Dana F. Milton Albany, New York John McCarthy Harold and Joan Weaver Ames, Iowa Roundup, Montana Moscow, Idaho Bailey, Colorado Gerald and Teresa Audesirk David L. Shoup Lauren and Dave Naslund Golden, Colorado Michael M. Bencic Roy Young Clovis, New Mexico Edgewater, Colorado Salt Flat, Texas Nederland, Colorado Jill Bamburg Ross and Catherine Smith Lee Nellis Scott Bingham James F. Kemp Reno, Nevada Seattle, Washington Idaho Falls, Idaho Divide, Colorado Fresno, California Fred Anderson W. M. Claypool, III Siste O'Malia Paul Denison John B. Luud : Chevy Chase, IWaryland Needles, Culiiorni a Farmington, New Mexico San Mateo, California Tempe, Arizona Vaughan Baker Walter Cerstle Stephen C. Pace Nancy D. Eddy Kim Ragotzkie Glena llen, Alaska Albuquerque, New Mexico Salt Lake Citlj, Utah Carbondale, Colorado Fresno, California Jim and Audrey Benedict Scott Hemphill J. L. Rynning Albert and Constance Erhard Richard White Ward, Colorado Chicago, Illinois Colorado Springe, Colorado Parachute, Colorado Salt Lake City, Utah Wallace C. Dayton J. Kent Hutchinson Stanley Sloss John Firor John Isaacs Minneapolis, Minnesota Palo Alto, Catitorni a Washington, DC Boulder, Colorado Aspen, Colorado Samuel P. Hays Mr. and Mrs. Emil H. [ebe R.W. and Marian Smith Louise and Steve Forrest Brad Marston Pittsburgh, Pennsgluani a Ann Arbor, Michigan Glenwood Springs, Colorado Seattle, Washlngton Princeton, New Jersey Pat and Bill Heidenreich Kay Firor and Kent Osterberg Brooke Smith Karen and David Gray Robert and Marcie Musser Marquette, Iowa San Ramo1J, Caliiorni a Woodland Park, Colorado Shell Beach, California Boulder, Colorado Lawrence H. Linden Nels Lautwiler Ken Smith John and Susan Heyrieman Duncan and Eva Patten New York, New York Lake Bluff lllinois Saratoga, Califomia Fishtail, Montana Tempe, Arizolla Nancy Rich Mike Ward and Mary Vant Hull Ginny Taylor Tim Hogan T. M.power Lake Forest, Illinois / Bozeman, Montana HUe, Utah Boulder, Colorado Missoula, Montana Robert Spertus David McCargo, Jr. Steven G. Vick Herb Kari el Kenneth M. Ramsey, Jr. Berkeley, California Anchorage, Alaska Indian Hills, Colorado Calgary, Alberta Broomfield, Colorado John Wahl Robert and Debra McGimsey Marion M. Walley P. and V. Lappala John C. Van Houten DUnCQ1f, Oklahoma Eagle River, Alaska F01't Wayne, l ndiana Carbondale, Colorado \ i \ Yerington, Nevada , , HigIJ Country News -- November 21, 1988-9

John and Charlotte Wunderlich Dick and Sarah Walker Lorenz A. Schaller Rex Bavousett Bethesda, Maryland Peck, Idaho Oj~i, California Addison, Texas~ FRIEND Howard G. Booth Drew Smith Elizabeth Butler Las Vegas, Nevada Boulder, Colorado Missoula, Montana Patricia Cohn Yuma, Arizona James c. Crain Jeff Smith Caroline Byrd Boulder, Colorado Santa Fe, New Mexico Lander, Wyoming James Traub and Marui Angood , Missoula, Montana John A,Cudd Alan Oestreich Lawrence Papp Mesa, Arizona Cincinnati, Ohio Parker, Colorado Noel Rosetta Helena, Montana Lucy A. Jordan Jeff Graham 'Paul and Janie Quimby Hyde Park, Utah Lander, Wyoming Tempe, Ariz01ta Anne Castle and Frank Daviess Golden, Colorado Eric Lundgaard Anne Nelson Gael Bissell and Richard Mace Boulder City, Nevada Stillwater, Minnesota Kalispell, Montana Richard Smith Roger and Kathryn Rathburn George E. J ohnston Bob and Pam [acobel Salmon, Idaho Boulder,·Colorado Apach~ Junction, Arizona Northfield, Miin'nesota Linda M. Hasselstrom Vincent Rossignol Charles Lindley Kenneth Spooner and Julie Hayward Hennosa, South Dakota Crested Butte, Colorado Penrose, Colorado Littleton, Colorado James Colthurst Anthony F. Williams George Maurer Gail and Harold Lindberg Winter Park, Colorado Fredonia, Arizona Arvada, Colorado J ndependence, Wisconsin

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lO-Higb Country News --November 21, 1988 , UTAH'

Cl .. Utah rejects anti -tax initiatives; re-elects Bangerter '.

tahns voted as expected in the eluding a new group called Taxpayers Announcing it was tired of political as Owens' strong wilderness proposals. national elections, giving Vice- for Utah, which was co-chaired by for- leaders SUbverting wildlife concerns to The coalition also piled up 81 endorse- UPresident George Bush 66 per- mer Democratic Govs. Cal Rampton and agriculture and extractive industries, the ments from individuals like Robert Red- cent of the vote and overwhelmingly re- Scott Matheson, former Republican U.S. new coalition strongly endorsed ford and the state's leading conservation- electing its mostly Republican congres- Sen. Wallace Bennett, and former Re- Democrats Ted Wilson and Wayne ists and sportsmen. sional delegation. publican President of the state Senate Owens. In full page ads on the sports In a similar move, the Utah chapter However. the rest of the state's races Warren Pugh. They warned that nearly pages of the Salt Lake newspapers, the of the Sierra Club mounted a grass-roots were neither boring nor normal. half of the tax cut would be borne by coalition cited both candidates' support campaign to help 10 candidates running Statewide. three tax initiatives went public schools and higher education in a for fisheries, non-game wildlife, big for the state Legislature, winning seven. down in flames, changing the outcome state that already ranks 50th in public game, threatened and rare species, and of a tightly contested gubernatorial race. school expenditures per child and 43rd recreational use of public lands, as well - Craig Bigler In Salt Lake City, numerous environ- in teacher salaries. ">. mental, wildlife and outdoor sports Soon after, Bangerter and Wilson groups joined forces to form a new held a joint news conference, urging vot- grass-roots political action committee, ers to reject both the tax initiatives and influencing elections there. Merrill Cook's anti-tax election cam- The most radical event happened in paign. Likewise, educators, public offi- Moab and the four counties making up cials and public safety officials spoke the southeast corner of the state. There against the tax protestors, warning of in- environmentalists and Democrats won evitable cuts in social services. Local four key victories, signalling the final governments and their associations pub- demise of the Sagebrush Rebellion and, licly worried about the huge revenue perhaps; the beginning of a counter-rev- . losses. olution for the Colorado Plateau (See ac- The unprecedented, non-partisan companying story). show of force quickly LOok effect, while In the race for the governor's seat. the tax protestors' arguments degenerat- Republican incumbent Norman Bangert- ed into rhetoric. In an election eve edito- er won re-election over Democratic chal- rial the Salt Lake Tribune reported: "As lenger Ted Wilson with only 40 percent public opinion polls show rising resis- of the vote. Wilson. an avid mountain tance to initiatives A through C, chief climber and outdoorsman, gave up an spokesmen for the three ballot measures early 30 point lead over Bangerter to fin- have grown choleric, characterizing the Jimmie Walker Dutcb Zimmerman ish two points behind with 38 percent. opposition as swine 'lapping at the pub- Independent candidate Merrill Cook re- lic trough,' and in hateful diatribe, call- ceived 21 percent. ing disagreeing groups and individuals Cisco incinerator is beat Bangerter's come-from-behind-vic- 'crooks,' 'liars' and the ultimate slander, Traditional politics got stood on its minority, and with a twoto one Demo- tory was intricately tied La Utah initia- 'Nazis. '" ! head in southeastern Utah last week. cratic majority' on the County Commis- tives A, Band C - all amendments to As support for the tax initiatives In what was widely viewed as a sion and incumbent Democrats as sheriff the Utah Constitution that would have waned, so did the opposition to Bangert- plebiscite for the region's economic fu- and county clerk, Grand County is now capped or cut the state's taxing authority. er, who had learned his lesson on taxes, ture, Grand County and Moab residents one of the more Democratic counties in They were soundly defeated by 61, 62 That left Wilson - who, like Bangerter, voted by a 63.5 to 36.5 margin to prohib- Utah. Some of the changes may have al- and 69 percent majorities, in a saga that had taken stances against wilderness and it construction of a toxic waste incinera- so rubbed off on nearby San Juan, Emery will be well remembered by Utah politi- in favor of paving the Burr Trail- with tor in the abandoned railroad town of and Carbon counties. cians. little platform to stand on. Except for a Cisco. To ensure that their will won't be All four counties went for Democrat It started last year when Bangerter promise to come to the aid of public edu- undone, voters canned incumbent Re- Ted Wilson over Republican Norman put himself in the political hot seal by cation, Wilson's campaign was built publican County Commissioners Jimmie Bangerter in the gubernatorial elections. ordering the largest tax increase in state mainly on opposition toBangerter, Walker and Dutch Zimmerman, replac- In addition the four counties, which history. The move was -necessary, -hc In the end, the tax protest, anti- ing them with Democrats Merv Lawton make up the state's very conservative said, to replace revenues lost from de- Bangerter vote was split between Wilson (by 57 percent) and Feme Mullen (by 52 southeastem Senate district, rejected Re- clines in Utah's minerals economy and Cook, allowing Bangerter to skate to percent). publican Cal Black's bid for the legisla- (HCN,4/f3/87). victory with barely half the Republican It was a holly contested election. In- ture. The backlash was seve;c. Two citi- vote. cumbent Commissioners Walker and Black, who has had a colorful career zens' groups formed to oppose the mea- In a state that tends toward ex- Zimmerman had plaeed their political as a San Juan County Commissioner and I sure, and they easily succeeded in get- trcmcs, the overwhelming defeat of the careers on the line, envisioning the pro- is considered one of the founders of the' ting the three tax initiatives on the 1988 tax initiatives can be seen as a big victo- . posed incinerator as the progenitor of a Sagebrush Rebellion, campaigned as ballot. Those went far beyond mere tax ry for moderates and an unmistakable new industrial base for Grand County. "The candidate who knows public land caps, instead calling for a total of $329 move toward the center. Bangerter's re- Instead of the overwhelming support issues and who will stop Wayne Owens, million in tax cuts. - prieve was a side effect. they would have won just five years ago, Robert Redford and their cronies from, 1Lalso prompted Ted Wilson, the In other races, Utah's only Demo- the commissioners got shot down by a locking up southern Utah." Black will popular former mayor of Salt Lake City, crat in Congress, Rep. Wayne Owens, new crop of residents striving for "a remain a powerful figure, however, as a to scuttle his proelaimed dream of a laid easily won re-election. Owens, who was community to match the scenery." member of both the State Land Board back career in academia and consent to endorsed by the Sierra Club, received 57 The political landscape in Grand and the national Bureau of Land Man- mount a Democratic challenge to percent of the VOlefrom his urban Salt County now looks profoundly different. agement advisory board. Bangerter. Lake City district. Republican incum- Conservationists are no longer a hated - Craig Bigler Reflecting widespread reaction to bents Reps. Howard Neilson and James the tax increases, early polls showed Hansen and Sen. Orrin Hatch were re- ...... Wilson leading Bangerter by 30 points. elected by even larger majorities. The Cal Black Philosophy Those polls also favored the tax initia- Republicans gained one seat in the "We want to assist with our nation's de- .Economic Development tives two to one. state Senate, but lost one in the House, fense; We must not arbitrarily rule out any Then two things happened. Perenni- maintaining that party's control of the We want no more truck with those who component of economic development. al candidate Merrill Cook joined the Senate by 76 percent and the House by straddle the fence; Any single-industry based economy is governor's race as the darling of the tax 63 percent. • > We need to mine copper! unhealthy. Tourism alone does not pro- protestors, and, unexpectedly, the state's While there were few changes in We need to make steel! I vide a healthy, viable economy. economy began to recover. Cook's pres- personnel in this election, there were in- We need oil wells and gas for our auto- ence in the race, as the independent can- ~ dications that environmental issues are mobiles. Local Input didate (Independents are Utah's second slowly gaining importance in the Utah We need jobs in the coal and uranium I believe the people who live in any largest voting group.), cut into Wilson's political scene. The biggest change was mines, and cows on the range. city, county, region or state should have "lead, and Bangerter was able to refund the formation of an unprecedented coali- We need good living wages, not mini- much more to say about what happens or half of the tax increase. While the move tion of conservationists (including the mum change; doesn't happen in their "back yard" than was viewed by Bangerter's opponents as Sierra Club, the, Audubon Society and a , We need minerals, and pastures, and people who don't live there. an ingenious attempt to do the right number of Utah-based groups), the Utah mountain access; thing, it gained him votes. Wildlife Leaders Coalition (representing Recreation and fishing, good roads and Reprinted from an ad in the M 0 a b In the meantime the tax initiatives 47 groups) and seven sportsmans' orga- the rest." I\ Times-Independent, Oct. 27. came under heavy fire from all sides, in- nizations...... ~.•.....~ . High Country News --November 21; 1988-11 MONTANA Republicans rout Democrats. across state ith George Bush capturing early 1980s. She adds that his rating the recently vetoed Montana wilderness the presidency, Democrats went up to 60 percent in 1985, during his bill. The senator waited until the last W nationwide are consoling last legislative session before he minute before introducing the legislation themselves with their gains in Congress announced his candidacy for governor. in mid-October. He then pushed it and in state houses. But that isn't the Judge, who served as governor from through the Senate right before lawmak- case in Montana, where the color of the 1972 to 1980, when. he lost a bid for a ers adjourned, over the objections of Big Sky has turned decidedly Republi- third term in the primary, called for an many Republicans and the state's timber can. active government role in promoting and mining industries. President Reagan The GOP nabbed the governor's business. He was nagged throughout the pocket-vetoed the measure at the urging chair, put a lock on the state Senate, and election by his inability to explain the of wilderness opponents, as well as in its biggest coup, ousted two-term Sen. disappearance of more than $90,000 Republican strategists who thought a John Melcher, giving Montana its first from a past campaign war-chest, and veto would boost Burns. Republican U.S. senator in 36 years. from charges that he was out of touch Burns, :vho proposes about half as The Democrats regained control of with the average Montanan. much wilderness as Melcher, com- the state House by a slim four seats, and Stephens will hit the ground run- plained to the Associated Press before also returned popular Pat Williams to the election that Melcher "just fiddled ning. In January he will confront a split Sen.John Melcher Congress, but the overall Republican Legislature that will wrestle with a grab- around too much back there and then advance worries conservationists, who bag of bills focused on turning Mon- tried to gang-bust (the bill) through." ronmenta! groups call Marlenee one of saw Democrats as their best hope for tana's economic wheels. The Legislature The senator-elect is a hard-line conserva- the environment's worst enemies in making environmental gains as the state will also consider a wide array of mea- tive who opposes tax increases and sup- Congress. enters its centennial year: sures affecting the environment, with the ports more defense spending and less In ballot initiatives, Montana's vot- Conservative Stan Stephens' victory most contentious likely to deal with government regulation. ers were generally gracious to education over former-Gov. Tom Judge in the well- water issues, forest practices and relax- Pat Williams, a deputy whip and but they were downright hostile to the fought gubernatorial race came as no ing environmental regulations. increasingly influential presence in idea of a bottle bill. That measure, which surprise. However, his decisive margin . Until recently, most political pundits Congress, retained his l st Congressional lost by a four to one margin, would have of six percent startled most observers. thought John Melcher would coast into a District in western Montana with a required a five cent deposit on aluminum Stephens, a former state senator and third term in the U.S. Senate. And even whopping victory over relatively and glass beverage containers. Oppo- radio broadcaster, will be Montana's first in late October, when polls showed the unknown Jim Fenlason of Bozeman. nents reportedly spent almost $500,000 Republican governor in 20 years. He race tightening, few thought Conrad Democratic and conservationist hopes in to defeat the bill. MOSLof the money succeeds two-term incumbent Ted Burns, a Yellowstone County commis- Montana's eastern district were crushed came from out-of-state bottlers, The Schwinden, who is retiring from politics. sioner with only two years of elective when voters returned Ron Marlencc to. bill's supporters had planned on spend- The gubernatorial campaign was experience, had a chance. But on elec- Congress for his seventh term. While ing around $30,000, much of which was waged around economic development, tion night the former farm radio broad- Marlenee barely beat challenger O'Brien to be in-kind donations. with Stephens advocating less govern- caster pulled off one of the country's two years ago, the Republican easily out" ment regulation, a slimmed-down gov- most stunning congressional upsets". distanced him this year. National envi- -Bruce Farling ernment workforce and the handing over Burns, who captured 52 pereent of the ' of some state services to private busi- vote, is also the first person to beat an in- ...... •...... ness. Conservationists-bemoan his. envi- cumbent Montana senator in-36·years. ,. - ""'-I ronrnental voting record in the Legisla- "Finally the softness of John Melch-: ture. According to Meg Nelson, lobbyist er caught up with him," says Dan Kem- ARIZONA for the Montana Environmental Center, mis, a Democrat and former speaker of Stephens voted only 10 to 15 percent of the Montana House. Part of that softness ...... may have been Melcher's handling of the time with environmentalists in the Republicans hold on to state

Reagan pockets wilderness bill ven though last spring's im- were easily re-elected to the House, in- peachment of Arizona Gov. cluding 27-year veteran Rep. Morris Montana's hard fought wilderness the Democrats pointed out that the first E Evan Mecham badly shook the Udall, the only Democrat. bill, 10 years in negotiations, fell prey announcement of the veto came from state's Republican party, it appears not to In the Senate, Dennis DeConcici Nov. 3rd to election year politics. Burns' campaign office, not from the have been fatal. was re-elected to a third term, beating Congress sent the carefully crafted White House. Burns denied it was a . Since the Mecham fiasco, Arizona's Republican Keith DeGreen by a 56 bill to President Reagan in late October, campaign issue. Republican party has been split between to 41 percent margin. DeGreen's cam- but Reagan refused to sign it before the However, shortly before election those still loyal to the car-dealer turned paign, strapped for funding until the na- bill automatically expired. Announcing Tuesday Williams said, "The Republi- governor and the Republican old guard. tional GOP committeeinjected $212,OPO the pocket veto, Reagan said the bill cans of Montana have made a massive Democrats were expected to drive the in October, didn't reach full stride until would have injured Montana's economy political mistake here." Williams, who wedge home this election, potentially the final weeks. DeGreen got a lot of and "cost jobs and mineral development was also up for re-election, promised to breaking the Republican party's iron grip momentum by attacking DeConcini for opportunities." It is only the second work on another bill as soon as Congress on the state legislature for the first time his purchase of a land tract in the path of in decades. The Democrats failed, mak- wilderness bill Reagan has ever vetoed. convenes in January, and said if the Re- the Central Arizona Water Project, later ing only minor inroads at the Statehouse. The first was refused over an unrelated publicans wanted to make the Montana re-selling it for over five times what he amendment and later signed. elections a referendum on wilderness. The biggest changes came in the paid. That tightened up the polls signifi- Montana Democrats - Sens. Max then he welcomed the challenge. primaries last September, when several cantly right before the. election, but not Baucus and John Melcher and Rep. Pat No one can say if the election really key old time Republicans and leading enough to alter the outcome. Williams, the three sponsors of the bill was a referendum on the wilderness bill, anti-Mecham figures got knocked out of Perhaps the only significant impact ~ refuted Reagan's charges, saying the as the results are mixed, "The measure the election. They included Speaker of Mecham had on this year's election was the House Joe Lane, Senate President bill was important to the stale's tourism may have helped Marlenee's decisive the so-called "Mecham Amendment." Karl Kunasek and Sen. Jack Taylor, Proposition 105 requires that a runoff and recreation economy, and would have victory. It certainly contributed to chairman of the Senate Appropriations election be held if no candidate gets freed millions of acres for development. Melcher's upset, but had little effect on Committee. more than 50 percent of the vote for any Baucus accused Reagan and the Republi- Williams' easy win. But last week the Democrats won of the state's top five offices. The propo- cans of "playing petty politics" and said The morning after the elections, only" two seats in the Senate and two sition is the legacy of the 1986 Guberna- the White House would never had dared Melcher said his handling of the wilder- seats in the House, narrowing the Re- torial election, when Mecham beat the a veto with Congress still in session. ness bill might have been a factor in his publican Senate majority to 17 seats weaker candidates with less than 40 per- The Democrats also accused the Re- loss, but then told a Missoulian reporter against the Democrat's 13. The House cent of the vote. Another proposition, publicans of sacrificing the bill to give that "maybe it was just my time to lose." ratio is now 34, to 26 in favor of the Re- which squeaked by-with 51 to 49 percent ~ some political momentum' to Conrad The wilderness bill would have des- publicans. The Democrats had hoped to victory, made' English the official lan- Burns, the Republican opponent to ignated 1.4 million acres of wilderness gain 4 seats in each race. guage of Arizona. The amendment will Melcher, and to Montana Rep. Ron Mar- and another 600,000 acres of national The Legislature's next session will require that all government forms, with lenee, who was also up for re-election. recreation areas and further study areas. probably see bills concerning air quality few special exceptions, be printed in En-' Melcher was the bill's principal author, It would have released the state's re- and groundwater pollution, but the glish. However, Laurie Roberts of the and Republican Marlenee was the 'only maining 4 million acres for timbering changes are expected to make little or no Arizona Republic says, "11 is expected one of the Montana delegation to oppose and development. it. difference from previous voting. that this one will land itself in court pret- In the congressional races Arizona ty quickly." As proof of the GOP's skullduggery, '-Bruce Farling kept the status quo. All five incumbents -TomMullen 12-Higb COUnt1y News -- November 21,1988

state Senate will have the same balance as before - 19 Republicans and II Democrats - but in the House, the WYOMING Democrats picked up three seats. The count there now stands at 39 Republi- cans and 24 Democrats. The spectre of Wyoming as a dump- wap.op ekes out avietory ing ground for the nation's toxic and hazardous wastes became a campaign nWyoming, a hard fought race for Vinich recognized that his constituents theme in areas where companies have re- the U.S. Senate turned into a are ardent advocates of multiple use of cen tly proposed building new toxic Iwhite-knuckled cliff-hanger. The the national forests. dump sites. In particular, residents of 'ace dragged well into the early hours of Vinich therefore did not make a play Laramie County. where Cheyenne is 10- _ Nov. 9, until unofficial results from all of for environmental groups, nor were they cated, are worried about a tire dump lo- he state's precincts finally gave incum- particularly enthusiastic about his candi- cated east of Cheyenne and plans for an rent Republican Malcolm Wallop a dacy. He even presented arguments in fa- asbestos dump near the town of Burns. 1,300 vote edge. vor of below cost timber sales on the ba- . At least one politician lost his re- Wallop, the West's ardent anti- sis they would create jobs and benefit 10- election bid because he was on the vilderness, pro-development spokes- cal communities in the long run. Some wrong side of the hazardous waste issue. nan, in his quest for a third term in environmentalists were dismayed when In the small town of Wamsutter - locat- Washington, D.C., came close to defeat Vinich suggested there might be a way ed on Interstate-80, between Rock Sen: Malcolm WaUop It the hands of 38-year-old John Vinich, to allow a "corridor" through Bridger- Springs and Rawlins - voters booted While intentionally ignored in the - , 1 bar and restaurant owner from Hudson. Teton National Forest Wilderness areas out Mayor Verne Waldner, who had rest of Wyoming, the environmental Throughout the campaign Vinich at- in order to accommodate a long-sought shown interest in having a waste man- movement was the focus of a hotly-con- acked Wallop for saying twelve years Lander to Jackson snowmobile trail. agement firm locate an asbestos dump tested county commission race in Teton igo that no U.S. senator should serve But on one environmental issue near the town. County, the seat of environmental ac- nore than two terms. Vinich claimed Vinich repeatedly attacked Wallop - the But a woman from Natrona County, tivism in the state. that Wallop is "out of touch with Wyoming senior senator's vote against who had come to symbolize the struggle Republican Paul von Gontard, an Wyoming." The southern tier of the Clean Water Act. And as the Yellow- of citizens against toxic waste contami- Anheuser-Busch heir and 40-year resi- Wyoming - the towns along the Union stone fires peaked late in the summer, nation. lost her bid for a state Senate dent of Jackson, sought to convince vot- Pacific Line ~ plus Casper, bought that Vinich chided Wallop for-neglecting his seat: Linda Burkhardt has been a vocal ers that environmental organizations are message and went heavily for Vinich, duties as a member and one-time chair- critic of state and federal officials for anti-worker and anti-growth. His Demo- A state representative "and senator man of the energy and public lands sub- their handling of toxic contamination of cratic opponent, Steve Thomas, succeed- from Fremont County (home to the committee. groundwater and soil in the Brookhurst ed in forging a coalition between envi- .ouisiana-Pacific timber mills in Dubois In state legislative races Democratic subdivision near Casper (HCN. 8/31/87). ronmentalists and hard-pressed workers and Riverton) for the past 14 years, candidates gained some ground. The However, the area's two incumbents - who find it increasingly difficult to feed ...... "1-"1-""1-" "1-"1-.** ******* ************** Dan Sullivan and oilman Diemer True and house families in Wyoming's glitzy - won handily against Burkhardt, who resort town. lives in Brookhurst. Thomas, a former meat-cutter union Statewide. there was general agree- organizer from Colorado. won by a hefty COLORADO ment among candidates that more envi- margin. The three-person governing ronmental safeguards are needed, and body will retain its two-to-one Demo- f "I-"I- "I- "I- "I-.. *********************** many indicated an interest in working on cratic edge in this heavily Republican state legislation to regulate hazardous County. The seat was opened up by waste. Observers say that solid waste Leslie Petersen, an incumbent Democrat Voters maintain status quo regulatory legislation that failed to reach and a prominent figure in statewide he coat tails of George Bush still not obtain abortions at public ex- the floor during the 1988 budget session Democratic circles, who did not seek re- could not be found in Colorado pense; a tax-limitation amendment re- is certain to be introduced early next election. T on election night. Although the quiring innumerable -votes on public year. -i-Katharine Collins vice president handily defeated Michael spending was soundly defeated: and the f¥"I-"I-"I-"I- "I-"I-"I- .. ¥ "I-"I-¥ .. "I-"I-"I-"I-"I- ~ "I-"I-¥ . Dukakis in the state, local issues deter- Republican-dominaLed Legislature (now mined other races, and Democrats even 39-26 in the House and 24-11 in the Sen- had some to crow about. ate) may no longer snuff out bills in In western Colorado, Rep. Ben cornmiuec or insist on party unanimity NORTH DAKOTA Nighthorse Campbell. a Native Ameri- after a bill goes to the floor. f .. "I-"I- "I-¥"I- .. "I- *********************** can jeweler and rancher, took 78 percent It was in some county races that of the vote and won every county in his Bush's coat tails seemed irrelevant In race against Republican Jim Zartman. western Colorado's Mesa County. for in- Two years ago, Campbell won his first stance, the issue was fallout from the Democrats hold on to state term by only 7.198 votes. Campbell massive oil shale bust of the early 1980s. lthough North Dakotans sup- campaigned as an accessible congress- The legacy in Mesa County, after com- ported George Bush for presi- man who cared about both water devel- missioners failed to halt lavish spending. A dent, the state's voters re-elect- oprnent and expanding a local monu- is the highest per-capita debt in Col- ed Democrats in statewide races. Demo- ment to a national park. orado. cratic Sen. Quentin Burdick, a 28-year Ticket-splitting continued in other Democrats capitalized on the contin- veteran of the Senate and current Chair- congressional contests, and regardless of uing problems that were not solved by man of the Environment and Public party all incumbents were re-elected. Republican leadership, electing two Works Committee, won another term, Like Ben Campbell this time Democratic commissioners and a state easily overcoming Republican chal- around, Democrat David Skaggs won his -legislator. lenger Earl Strinden. second term easily against a well-fi- In Summit County, home to the Strinden, widely considered North nanced Republican opponent. Skaggs three major ski areas of Breckenridge. Dakota's ablest state legislator, has been ran in the Boulder area that is home to Copper Mountain and Keystone. a leader in the North Dakota Statehouse Democratic Sen. Tim Wirth. Democrats apparently unseated one since 1975. His campaign questioned the Incumbent Republican Rep. Dan commissioner and took the open seat of capabilities of his 80 year old opponenL, Schaefer, a decided non-favorite among another. asking the question: "Where's the environmentalists because of his disin- In one race the issue was the pro- Quentin Burdick we used to know?" terest in clean air and other conservation posed Two Forks Dam, which Republi- Burdick performed adequately enough in issues, turned back a spirited challenge can incurnent commissioners had ap- public debates with Strinden to dispel Gov. William Sinner by Democrat Martha Ezzard in a heavi- proved in a deal with the Den ver Water doubts about his competence. Burdick ner won re-election with a convincing ly-Republican district. Board. Democrat Joe Sands attacked the won 60 percent of the vote. 60-40 victory over Dickinson business- On balance, Colorado's congressi- arrangement, and as of this writing Incumbent, four-term Congressman man Leon Mallberg. Sinner, a Red River ional delegation remains the same: three seems the 2761-2714 winner against Dan Byron Dorgan, another Democrat, also Valley farmer, has a bad reputation with Republicans and three Democrats, one of. Ulmer, the incument Republican com- won easily, trouncing Republican Steve environmentalists in his state because of whom, Pat Schroeder, coasted once missioner. Sydness by a 72 to 28 percent margin, to his work against environmental controls again to victory with 70 percent of the Democrat Marsha Osborn, who _ claim North Dakota's sole Houseseat; on energy development in western North m~ J" picked up the open commissioner seat in Dotgim,46 years old, is considered the Dakota . If there was excitement about this . Summit County. focused her winning state's most popular politician. Democrats retained control of the election in Colorado it came mainly 3,020-2,356 campaign on the county's North Dakota Sierra Club leader, state Senate with a 32 to 20 margin. One. from controversy over ballot issues - tendency to focus on "big business and Dexter Perkins, says Dorgan "votes right race remains undecided. Republicans once voters studied them enough to deci- big bucks," says Summit Sentinel re- on all the major environmental issues ex- hold the edge in the Statehouse. With pher their cryptic wording .' porter Bill Mitchell. She also criticized cept water projects." Both Dorgan and three races too close to call, the margin The result: English is now the the Two Forks Dam agreement with Burdick were endorsed by the Sierra is 57-46. state's "official" language, however that Denver. Club. may be interpreted; poor women may _ Betsy Marston Democratic Governor William Sin- - Peter Carrels I T tRT

High Country News --November 21, 1988-13

Act, a pending bill to rename and IDAHO strengthen the Land and Water Conser- vation Fund. Watkins labelled the bill a "federal land grab" that would allow Stallings' The political winds have 'shifted "radical environmentalist friends in the Sierra Club" to condemn private land in Idaho. But the attack fell flat, largely be- daho's 1988 election mixed ex- The message of dissatisfaction with cause it was patently untrue. The Land pected results and surprises. Idaho Republican leadership, particularly on and Water Conservation Fund has been went heavily for George Bush and education, will not be lost on those who I used in Idaho mostly to develop city re-elected its incumbent congressmen by replace them. One by-product will be a parks, swimming pools and urban recre- big margins. But some state legislative better climate for conservation at the ation facilities. upsets give Idaho's Democrats more rea- Legislature. Sverdsten and another Boise On the other hand, a few of son for optimism than they have had in Republican loser, Bill Ringert, were the Stallings' conservation initiatives in the many years. two most anti-conservation members of last two years helped him substantially. George Bush won Idaho by 64 per- the Senate Resources and Environment He supported Craters of the Moon Na- cent. Idaho's two congressmen, Republi- Committee. Their replacements will al- tional Park, two smaller national park can Larry Craig and Democrat Richard most certainly be friendlier on land and units in south central Idaho and a land Stallings, won re-election with 65 and 64 water issues. Ringert's opponent, Brian percent of the vote, respectively. Dones!ey, effectively used Ringen's exchange improving public access along the South Fork of the Snake River. He Stalling's tally was the biggest a Demo- poor water quality and river protection carried counties in the areas affected by crat has ever received in his heavily Re- record against him. these initiatives that Democrats simply publican southern Idaho district. Statewide, conservation/outdoor is- do not carry. Democrats gained three seats in the sues played a key role only in the His huge victory establishes him as Idaho Senate (they are still a minority of Stallings race. His opponent, Idaho Falls a force second only to Cecil Andrus in 19 - 23), but the impact transcends the Republican Dane Watkins, hammered on Idaho's Democratic Pariy and as a seri- numbers. Jim Risch, president pro tern of the theme that Stallings was giving away the Senate and the single most powerful Idaho land and water to "the fcds." ous contender, if he chooses to run, for a U.S. Senate seat in 1990 or 1992. man in the Idaho Legislature for nearly a Rep. Richard Stallings Watkins' centerpiece was Stallings' sup- decade, was soundly beaten in Ada port for the American Heritage Trust -s-Pai Ford County (Boise) by Democrat Mike Bur- populist Democrat Johno Stocks. And kett. The Senate's assistant minority the Republican leader in the House, Jack leader, Terry Sverdsten, was beaten in Kennevick, was beaten in Boise by Kootenai County (Coeur d" Alene) by Democrat Jim Hansen. NORTHWEST

twas yes to protecting rivers and Also specifically named in the ini- the cleanup of toxic wastes, and· a tiative was Walker Creek in Oregon's Imixed bag to Congress from the coast range, where the city of McMinn- voters of the Pacific Northwest on Nay. ville wanted to put a reservoir. Because 8. jurisdiction for non-hydro dams does lie By a 56-to-44 margin, Oregon vot- with the state, that project apparently is ers passed a ballot measure which added dead. 500 miles of rivers to their state's Scenic Moving to the indoor environment, Waterways System. The move, which al- in the state's most expensive contest, most doubles the amount of waterways Oregon voters handily defeated a mea- under the system, restricts development sure which would have banned smoking within one-quarter mile of the rivers. It in almost all public buildings. Tobacco prohibits dams and placer mining (ex- companies spent $3 million to defeat the cept dredges with hoses under 4 inches), measure. prompting one commentator to allows irrigation for anyone holding pri- suggest an initiative to ban 4-wheel or water rights, and mandates that roads, drives in order to bring auto industry logging and other uses maintain as near- dollars into the state. Sahalie Palls, Oregon ly as possible the natural beauty of the Oregon's congressional delegation area. remained unchanged. Four of the five in- 160,000 votes - Washingtonians chose frequently listed the environment, and Land owners, particular! y along cumbents handily won re-election. that citizen-sponsored measure over a particularly nuclear waste cleanup, as his central Oregon's John Day River, fought Democrats Peter DeFazio, Les AuCoin legislature-drafted version which became highest priority. the bill. Now, before they paint any barn and Ron Wyden will be returning to law last year. The Legislature's bill ex- Gorton, however, recommends con- within one-quarter mile of the river, they D.C., along with Republican Bob Smith. empted petroleum products to be shipped verting a mothballed WPPSS reactor into must check with the state to ensure com- But, in a race so tight that the results out of state from the new tax, encour- the production of tritium for -nuclear patible colors - pinks and purples are weren't known until absentee ballots aged voluntary cleanups through incen- weapons, and he supports reopening of probably out. But the measure's backers were counted three days later, Rep. Den- tives such as excusing polluters from fu- Hanford's N-Reactor. But he also helped point out that such approval usually in- ny Smith - who won his seat on Rca- ture liabilities once the cleanup was ban supertankers from the Puget Sound., volves only a phone call, and .in the 18 gan's coat tails in 1980 aud has been de- complete, and called for much lower and promoted bills to protect Mt. St. He', years of Oregon's Scenic Waterways scribed as someone who equates envi- fines. The new stringent rules, which lens and the Columbia Gorge. System, only two requests have been de- ronmentalism with ami-Americanism - cover several hundred sites in the Ever- Democrat Jolene Unsoeld, one or, nied. barely bear 39-year old state Rep. Mike greeu State, take effect March I. the sponsors of the successful toxics The measure comes just weeks after Kopetski, who entered politics as a vol- Voters separated that issue from cleanup measure, won election to Wash- the U.S. Congress granted federal pro- unteer for Bobby Keunedy. Booth Gardner, who supported both the ington's 3rd Congressional District, al- tection to 1,700 miles of Oregon's rivers. North of the Columbia River, Wash- weaker toxic cleanup initiative and the though by a much narrower margin than Areas covered by both bills will now be ington voters ended a three-year battle reopening of Hanford's N-Reactor. Gard- predicted. All 6 of Washington's incum- jointly managed by the state and feds. by passing a tough toxic wastes cleanup ner, possibly the most popular governor bentcongressmen easily won reelection, But the state iniuative-unlike the federal bill.The. initiative imposes a .,,,percent in the state's histqrjc.returns to the state- including House, MajotityLeader, Tom bill, specifically protects the section of tax on the wholesale value of hazardous house for a second term after a63 per- , Foley and fellow Democrats Norm Dicks . the Klamath River where the controver- substances to fund the cleanup of haz- cent to 37 percent win over GOP sacrifi- and Al Swift, and Republicans Ron sial Salt Caves Dam has been proposed. ardous waste sites. The primary respon- cial candidate Bob Williams. Chandler and Sid Morrison, a leading Although the state-wide vote was a clear sibility for such cleanup will lie with the Voters also pushed a revolving door champion of continued military nuclear victory for opponents of that dam, it may owners or operators of the sites, and fail- for Seattle Republican Slade Gorton, re- production at Hanford. In the 7th District not mean the end of it, since final per- ure 10 comply with state Department of turning him to the U.S. Senate. Gorton, seat vacated by Lowry, Democrat Jim mission for hydroelectric projects like Ecology rules can result in fines of up to who two years ago lost the state's other McDermott won election by more than a Salt Caves will come from the feds, who £25,000 a day. Senate seat after just one term, narrowly three-to-one margin. are not bound by Oregon voters' wishes. By a 56-to-44 margin - more than defeated Congressman Mike Lowry, who' <-Jim Stiak LIneR ...... »Ti

14-Higb Country News -- November 21,1988

still in Republican hands, the Democrats incumbent, and Johnson's 72 percent lO made significant headway in the Senate, 28 percent victory was the most impres- sotmt DAKOTA long the most difficult chamber for envi- sive showing any Democrat seeking na- ronmental legislation, gaining five seats tional office has made in modern times. to cut the difference to 20 to 15. Repub- All of the state's 66 counties supported licans control the Statehouse by a 45 to the 41-year-old lawyer. Two mining initiatives fail 25 margin. Johnson, who has been publicly In South Dakota's only statewide skeptical about the impacts of North race, Democrat Tim Johnson breezed to Dakota's Garrison Diversion project on oliath soundly trounced David counter claims by mining companies that victory over Republican David Volk in South Dakota's Sand Lake National at the polls in South Dakota the initiatives would block economic pursuit of his second term as the state's Wildlife Refuge and James River, "is G this election. development and force miners out of sole U.S. Representative. Yolk, who has viewed as a friend by the state's environ- Goliath was the mining industry and jobs. During the bitter campaign, mining served 16 consecutive years as State mentalists. David was a citizens' action group. The companies continued to invest millions Treasurer, never seriously challenged the -s-Peter Carrels fight was over two initiatives that would of dollars to develop mining facilities, a have forced tougher reclamation and sign that mining activity would not have water protection standards on the mining ceased if either or both initiatives had industry and, secondly, raised state taxes passed. on gold mined by heap leaching or in Open pit/heap leach gold mining open pits. They were defeated, 59 per- activity in South Dakota's Black Hills is cent to 41 percent, and 65 percent lO 35 escalating at a brisk pace. In 1982, only percent, respectively. one such operation was functioning. Gary Heckenliable, spokesperson Today, there are five surface mines for the Surface Mining Initiative Fund . . underway, with more planned. Over ~ the coalition that led the campaign for. 300,000 acres in the Black Hills are passage of the two reform initiatives ~ being scrutinized by gold mining compa- attributed their loss to the multi-million nies for possible mining development. dollar advertising campaign mounted by Hcckenlaiblc says his group will not mining interests and the presence of pop- give up. "I'm looking forward to contin- ular 'former governor Republican uing thc fight for better laws," he said William Janklow. Janklow was hired by after the election. "This is the first stage, -the mining companies several months a stepping-stone. A year and a half ago, before the election to generate criticism no one knew about surface mining for against the proposals. He toured the state .gold. Now lots of people know. We got constantly, held countless press confer- some 40 percent of the votes to support ences and aggressively debated initiative us and we'll go from here." supporters. Heckenlaible said he and others While serving as governor, from concerned about surface gold mining 1978 to. 19815, Janklow had warned about will continue LO monitor the mines, lob- the possible impacts of strip mining for by the state Legislature for better laws gold and had battled with gold interests and will watchdog state regulatory agen- Homestake mine in Soutb Dakota over a higher severance tax. However,_ cies. "Down the line we may do another during the recent initiative campaign, he . initiated measure," he says .. tives who don't like professional envi- sional District, with 72 percent of the called the measures "extreme" and -.. However, the state's new Legisla- ronmentalists, I think it would have vote. Republican Joe Skeen was unop- accused the state's environmentalists of- ture' may prove a bit more receptive to worked well." posed in the southern 2nd Congressional lying about the adequacy of South Dako- environmental proposals. Several legis- Instead, invective was the biggest District, and in the only statewide race, ta's current mining laws. lators considered strident opponents to campaign issue. incumbent Democrat Jeff Bingaman Heckcnlaible's badly outspent group environmentalists were ousted on A July fund-raising letter from handily won another term in the U.S. worked door-to-door but was unable to November 8. While the Legislature is Schiff wamed that Udall had suppert of Senate. / "left-wing activist groups" such as the In state legislative races, Democrats Sierra Club, and his T.V. ads criticized cleaned up. They took four seats to re- Udall for not paying his college student capture control of the state Senate after NEWMEXICO loans on time. Republicans had moved to a 21-21 split Udall retaliated with a barrage in 1986. And, they maintained a 45-25 against Schiff for plea-bargaining two- majority in the state House of Represen- thirds of the county's felony cases and tatives after losing one seat to the Re- A Udall loses close. race failing lO prosecute a big murder case publicans. that was dismissed. The New Mexico Conservation Vot- Finally, Schiff mailed 80,000 ers Alliance, an environmental political he .day after New Mexico's Schiff .was successful in persuading a Democrats brochures accusing Udall of action group, contributed to that victory. elections, Tom Udall was on a significant number of middle-aged, An- supporting federal control of child day The group endorsed 30 candidates in T plane for a backpacking trip to glo male Democrats to vote for him," care, having "plea-bargained rape, mur- state legislative races, and 25 won. the Gila Wilderness and Steve Schiff said veteran private New Mexico poll- der, fraud and bribery cases" as a federal The biggest loser in this year's elec- was back in his Bernalillo County Dis- ster Brian Sanderoff. "They are D.A. prosecutor and having moved 8 times, tions was Republican Gov. Garrey Car- trict Attorney's office. The distance be- kind of guys, Reagan Democrats." living in 8 states and two foreign coun- ruthers, who had made a well-publicized, tween the two men was appropriate. gi v- Udall, on the other hand, had never tries over the past 13 years. Udall said highly unsuccessful effort to unseat sev- en the amount of mud they'd slung at held elected office, although he had he'd lived in Albuquerque for 8 of the .eral Democrats in both houses. Two Re- each other in their battle for Congress. served as an assistant U.S. Attorney and past 13 years and lived in one other publican state senators who had not Schiff, a Republican, won a 6,000- chief counsel for 'the New Mexico country, England, for a year while at- sought re-election predicted Carruthers vote victory over Democrat Udall out of Health and Environmental Department. tending Cambridge University. would face rough sledding in the legisla- 150,000 votes cast in a bitter race for "It was almost like running against an Schiff acknowledged some of his ture next year. New Mexico's 1st Congressional District incumbent," said Udall press secretary ads had minor errors, retreated from his "This was a case of naivete on his seat, which includes Albuquerque. His Dede Feldman. "left-wing" claim aboutthe Sierra Club part," said Sen. John Budagher, a conser- victory keeps in Republican hands a dis- Son of former U.S. Interior Secre- and asserted he cared as much about en- vative Albuquerque Republican. "There trict that had belonged to Republican tary Stewart Udall and nephew of U.S. vironment as Udall. was no rational explanation for it." Rep. Manuel Lujan from 1968 until his House Interior Committee chairman But he still has a credibility problem Outgoing Sen. Joe Carrara of Albu- retirement this year. Morris Udall, Tom Udall painted himself with environmentalgroups, and next querque noted some. reports had men- It was a big loss for environmental- as an environmentalist from day one of year will face the twin challenges of a tioned Carruthers as a possible U.S. Inte- ists across the U.S. who had pumped his campaign. He gave numerous press new wilderness bill for Bureau of Land rior Secretary for President-elect Bush. much time and money into the Udall conferences and churned out frequent Management land in New Mexico and Elected as New Mexico governor in campaign. Among the groups who en-' press releases on clean air, clean water helping decide the fate of the trouble, 1986, Carruthers was Interior Secretary dorsed or worked for Udall were Friends and nuclear waste. plagued Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near James Watt's deputy in the early 1980s. of the Earth, the Wilderness Society, the But in the TV advertising battle- Carlsbad. "If I were in his shoes ... I might go Sierra Club and the League of Conserva- ground that wins and loses elections ~"H~ is an open slate," said Chuck ahead and leave," said Carraro. "tion Voters. these days, Udall said little about the en- Wiggins, president of Albuquerque's The governor would gladly serve on At the end, both candidates said vironment during the falI. Some environ- Sierra Club chapter. "We need to get in .a Bush transition team for the Interior they regretted the negative television ads mentalists wondered if bo.th he and they touch with him, give him our informa- Deparunent, said Carruthers press secre- they'd bought during the campaign's last had failed to drive horne their message. tion about our top priorities and let him tary Don Caviness, but he "thoroughly month. But both sides blamed the other Said pollster Sanderoff, "Had they know we are not a bunch of left-wing ac- enjoys being governor and intends to for doing itfirst, run an environmentally oriented cam- tivists." stay governor." Schiff entered the race as a well- paign and stressed that environment In the state's other races, incumbent known Bernalillo County district attor- means different things to different peo- Democrat Bill Richardson easily won ney with 8 years experience. "I think that ple, ... and they didn't tum off conserva- northern 'New Mexico's 3rd Congres- <-Tony Davis I . ITarvetl.RT

WASHINGTON, D.C. ( I Bush may appoint moderates at Interior, Energy

___ by Andrew Melnykovych Evans is also a fiscal conservative, proach, Bush could, by appointing Rus- While the Bush administration cast but enjoys a reputation as a strong envi- sell Train or someone similar, show that has not been assembled, there is reason ASHINGTON After a ronmentalist. He has expressed opposi- he really does want to patch up the rela- to hope that its dealings with Congress presidential campaign in tion to government subsidies to resource tionship between the GOP and the con- are likely to be far less confrontational W which telling the truth was users. servation community. than the clashes of the past eight years. .an optional activity, it is time for the real Both Sununu and Evans have also Likewise, Bush, by naming some- Unlike Reagan, Bush at least rccog- ' George Bush to stand up. been mentioned as contenders to succeed- one like Evans to be Energy Secretary, nizes that environmental problems exist. Will the president-elect revert to his the ineffectual John Herrington as Ener- could place himself in stark contrast to Bush is certain to be more willing to Eastern Establishment, moderate Repub- gy Secretary. Reagan, who, rather than working to de- lican roots, giving us the George Bush If Bush lives up to his campaign velop a national energy policy, sought nurtured at Andover, Yale and Kenne- commitments to deal with acid rain and instead to abolish the department. (Continued on page 16) bunkport? other global pollution problems, the en- ~ ~~~ ~ . Or will President Bush continue to ergy post, a neglected backwater during ~.~ be the Reagan clone we saw on the cam- the Reagan years, will playa major role paign trail: an ideological chameleon in shaping natural resource policy. whose beliefs change to conform to the Expect both Sununu or Evans to NEVADA political environment? push nuclear power as a way of reducing The first clues to the 41st presi- ~~.!~.lia,nceon fossil fuels., Sununu is a -d.;;u;s true- identitY:;ill- tre hii'Choices "backer of the controversial Seabrook nu- for top posts in government. Early indi- clear power plant in his home state. He cators point to a shift away from Rea- has been a strong advocate of federal Hecht is dumped .,~ ganism toward moderation. measures to reduce acid rain. Bush's naming of James Baker as Appointing Sununu or Train to the raditionally, Nevada votes strongest in the Las Vegas area, support- his Secretary of State was no shock, but Interior post would break the tradition of Republican, but an ongoing con- ed vehicle registration programs, instal- his signalling of a wholesale houseclean- naming Westerners to oversee the federal , troversy over the proposed Yucca laLion of water meters and toxic waste T cleanup. Hecht, whose environmental irig of Reagan political appointees sur- estate, most of which lies on the far side Mountain nuclear waste dump loosened prised nearly everyone. Who replaces of the Mississippi from Washington. But up some local races. voting record earned him' a spot on the the Reaganauts in key natural resource the West will not be locked out of the se- Nevadans voted to stay the course League of Conservation Voters "dirty policy posts will have profound implica- lection process. nationally, electing Vice-President dozen" list, drew most. of his support tions for the West. Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., who is George Bush by a 60-40 margin, but from rural areas and industry, In the end Early speculation on the leading Bush's close friend, has said that West- then crossed party lines and turned over Bryan slid by Hecht with a four point contenders for the top jobs focused ern Republicans in Congress will submit Republican Chic Hecht's Senate scat to margin. mostly on candidates from the East. a list of recommendations for upper-lev- Gov. Richard Bryan, a Democrat. In both House districts Nevadans re- Bush's campaign environmental ad- el posts important to them. The Democrats also retained their elected incumbents. Democrat Jim Bil- visers - Nat Reed and Russell Train - hold on the governorship - and kept bray, who won his scat by a narrow mar- have been mentioned as possible choices hile the Cabinet-level ap- one of the state's two congressional gin in 1986, took the 1st District two-to- for Interior Secretary. Both have strong pointments will draw the seats. The state house remained one over Republican challenger Lucille ties to the mainstream conservation com- W most attention, the assistant unchanged, with a three-to-one Demo- Lusk. Bilbray's campaign included pro- munity, Reed through the National secretaries and agency heads are often cratic Assembly and a marginally wilderness and anti-dump stances, and Audubon Society and Train through the more influential in shaping policy. The Republican Senate. he is considered by Bob Fulkerson of World Wildlife Fund/Conservation decisions on those posts will be deter- As in 1986~ the major issue in this Nevada's Citizen Alert to be "the best Foundation. Reed and Train both have mined largely by who fills the top jobs. year's election was the high level nucle- voice Nevada has on the hill for the served in the federal government. Either Expect changes at most, if not all, of ar waste repository proposed for the environment." In his first term he pro- posed a 725,000-acre wilderness bill one would be far more sympathetic to the assistant secretary positions, and at desert 110 miles northwest of Las Vegas. wh ich passed the House, and supported conservationists than any of Reagan's the Bureau of Land Management and the In the Bryan-Hecht Senate race, both re-authorization of the Clean Air Act: appointees. U.S. Fish arid Wildlife Service. One pos- candidates campaigned as the leader However, Reed may now be out of sible holdover is National Park Service Nevada needs in Washington, D.C., to Voters in the 2nd Congressional Dis- the running, sources at Interior say. After Director William Penn Molt, who has keep the nation's radioactive waste out trict - all of Nevada outside of Las committing the unforgivable political strong backing from conservationists. of the state. Vegas - swung the other direction aud gaffe of endorsing a Democrat in the Forest Service Chief Dale Robertson is a Gov. Bryan charged that Hecht's ini- sent Republican Barbara Vucanovich to Florida Senate race. civil and will remain. tial support for a Nevada dump and an career servant the House for a third term, Vucanovich The other contenders for Interior overall weak showing as a freshman There has been little speculation is the last Laxalt protege still alive in Secretary are a pair of former Republi- Senator allowed Congress to pass the about candidates to succeed Robert Bur- Nevada politics, and now the lone can governors, New Hampshire's Gov. ford at BLM and Frank Dunkle at Fish 1987 and 1988 "Screw Nevada" bills. Republican on the state's congressional John, Sununu and Dan Evans of Wash- and Wildlife. A name that has surfaced Those bills designated Yucca Mountain delegation. She dominated the rural ington, who is leaving the Senate in frus- as a possible replacement for Burford is as the only site under consideration for a areas while her opponent, Sparks Mayor tration after serving only five years. Tom Stroock, an oilman and Wyoming dump, and then cut funding for indepen- Jim Spoo, ran strong in Reno, Sparks, Sununu is one of the few Eastern state senator who was Bush's classmate dent state studies. Carson City and Lake Tahoe. chief executives who has any grasp of at Yale. Hecht, in turn, labelled his opponent Western issues, having worked Closely Bush's appointments will send the "Bullfrog Bryan" for his failed attempt Vucanovich did not come out wi th Western governors on the acid rain clearest signal yet of whether he intends to create a new county (Bullfrog County) against the dump until early this year, problem. A fiscal arch-conservative, Su- to carry through the campaign commit- with the state's highest tax rates at Yucca when sbe proposed to send high-level nunu is seen as a moderate on environ- merits he made in an effort to capture the Mountain. Hecht charged that the fiasco radioacti ve waste to the Marshall mental issues. But he would be an un- conservationist vote. Just as Reagan's sent Congress the message that Nevada Islands. Spoo ridiculed the suggestion as known quantity on questions such as appointment of James Watt signalled a could be bribed into accepting the dump. "a belated and unscientific political fix." grazing fees. pro-development, anti-environmental ap- On other issues, Bryan, who ran -Cathy Ciarlo un

16-High Country News --November 21, 1988

Kentucky, who now chairs the rules Robert Stafford of Vermont, a conserva- On the other hand, some observers committee, a relatively insignificant post tionist favorite, to retirement. He will be believe that taking on the top job could (Continuedfrom page 15) he would readily relinquish: succeeded by a like-minded New Eng- limit Mitchell's ability to forge compro- Bumpers is a strong conservationist lander, John Chafee of Rhode Island. mises. They argue that the best outcome work with Congress to address those who has no reluctance to take on the en- Melcher sat on the agriculture com- would have Mitchell losing to Johnston, problems. ergy industries. He has championed ef- mittee, chairing its forestry subcommit- who seems prepared to back acid rain But a more cooperative administra- forts to reform the federal mineral leas- tee. The agriculture committee also lost legislation. tion does not necessarily mean quick re- ing system. Ford, on the other hand, is its junior Republican, David Karnes of Election of the third contender, 'sults. The key will be in ending the fac- known as a champion of both Eastern Nebraska. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, appears likely tional and regional wrangling that has coal and the nuclear industry - a poten- Beyond its potential effect on the to have little effect on the prospects for stymied congressional efforts to address tially difficult position to be in once energy committee, the Democratic lead- an acid rain bill or any other major envi- broad problems such as acid rain. The Congress takes up measures to deal with ership race will do much to determine ronmental initiative. election results, at least in the Senate, are acid rain and global warming. how the Senate addresses key environ- While the Senate situation is in flux, cause for cautious optimism. Johnston, whether as majority leader mental issues. little has changed in the House, where or energy committee chairman, can be Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia 98.7 percent of incumbents won re-elec- he Senate Energy and Natural expected to continue his push for regula- has stepped down as Senate majority tion. What changes did occur are not Resources Committee lost one- tory and tax relief for the petroleum in- leader in order to take over the appropri- likely to be felt in the West. Tfifth of its members - one vol- dustry. He will be joined by Bush and ations committee chairmanship vacated The interior committee lost only two untarily (Evans), and three through . Senate Finance Committee Chairman by the retirement of John Stennis of Mis- of its members, second-ranking Republi- forced retirement at the polls - Repub- Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, whose stock has sissippi. The change will not weaken can Manuel Lujan retired and Oregon licans Chic Hecht of Nevada and Lowell shot up as a result of his vice presidential Byrd's hand in protecting high-sulfur Republican Denny Smith narrowly lost Weicker of Connecticut and Democrat bid. Eastern coal from the onslaughts of the his bid for a fifth term. Neither had much John Melcher of Montana. Another The complexion of the energy com- acid rain controllers. impact on the com~ittee. Western Republican, Malcolm Wallop of mittee will also be determined by who Byrd's intransigence on the issue Wyoming Republican Dick Cheney Wyoming, narrowly escaped defeat. fills the four vacancies. Bryan would be has contributed to the stalemate between is moving up to assistant House Republi- Weicker, though the third-ranking ~ a logical choice to replace Melcher, those who want to control acid rain can leader, succeeding Trent Lott, who Republican on the panel, has not been an while Burns might want to take one of through the use of expensive technology won his bid to succeed Stennis in the active participant on the committee in re- We three open GOP seats. Another possi- that allows the burning of high-sulfur Senate. But Cheney is already the most cent years. His departure is significant ble new Republican face could be Slade coal and the "free choice" who favor al- influential Western Republican in the only in the possibility that he could be Gorton of Washington, who was succes- lowing a shift to low-sulfur coal mined House, so his promotion will add little to replaced by a Western Republican, thus ful in his comeback bid. in the West. his ability to influence the course of leg- II shifting the balance on a committee that The chief Senate sponsor of acid islation or administration actions affect- votes largely on regional rather than hanges on other committees rain legislation, George Mitchell of ing the West. partisan lines. were hot as sweeping as on the Maine, is also in the leadership race. If Hecht, widely derided as one of the C energy panel. The environment he wins, he might be better positioned to Senate's least gifted members, is best committee lost ranking Republican continue his push for the measure. o known for his gift for malapropisms, the most famous of which was his reference to a waste dump for radioactive materials as, a "nuclear suppository." wild and scenic designation for the Nio- Hecht's feeble efforts to keep We dump brara River. Environmentalists hope that NEBRASKA with Kerrey's election they will get their out of Nevada contributed to his defeat ~••¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ ••• ¥•• ¥¥¥¥.¥¥¥••• ¥••¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ ••• ¥.¥ by Gov. Richard Bryan. first shot at winning a wild and scenic Hecht's departure will have little river for Nebraska. impact on the committee. While Evans Voters seat two Democrats If Kerrey decides to pursue protec- was the junior GOP member of the pan- tion for the Niobrara, he will almost cer- tain~y get help from newly-eleetedl--~ el, his retirement represents the loss of emocrats cracked open big of his term as governor from 1982 one of its most thoughtful members. Democrat Peter Hoagland, who beat a Jeads in Nebraska Nov. 8, and through 1986, when he guided the state conservative R'J'lIblican doctor for Ne- The biggest change, however, is the the result maybe good news through tough financial times. defeat of "Doc" Melcher, who was seek- D braska's 2nd Congressional District in for conservationists. Karnes was a nobody in Nebraska ing his third term. His replacement will Omaha. Hoagland also carried a strong Democrat Bob Kerrey, Nebraska's politics until he was appointed by Re- Sierra Club endorsement and favors pro- be Republican Conrad Bums, a former good-looking and charismatic former publican Gov. Kay Orr to fill a Senate farm report broadcaster. Burns was tection of the Niobrara. governor, easily swiped a U.S. Senate seat after the sudden death of Sen. Ed- Those two victories give Republican helped by Reagan's veto of the Melcher- seat from Republican incumbent David _ ward Zorinsky in 1987. sponsored Montana wilderness bill, Nebraska a Democratic majority in Karnes by a 57-42 ratio. Even though Kerrey has good environmental cre- Washington. with two Democratic s~na- which Burns had criticized as anti-eco- Karnes was We incumbent and Nebraska dentials, including a Sierra Club en- nomic development legislation. tors and one Democrat among its three is a predominantly Republican state, dorsement. Larry Mehlhaff, coordinator representatives. The victories also make Melcher's long-windedness is leg- Kerrey had.all the advantages. of the Sierra Club's Northern Plains of- endary, and he does not hesitate to use it Nebraska "one of the more environmen- Kerrey, a Vietnam war hero who lat- fice in Sheridan, Wyo., says as governor, tally aware states on the Great Plains," as an effective tactic to block legislation. er toured the country to protest the war, Kerrey was good on soil erosion and Few people have the patience to hear says Mehlhaff. has a high profile in Nebraska because groundwater pollution and supported - Steve Hinchman Melcher out, making him an effective obstructionist. In 1986, Melcher and then-chairman James McClure, R-Idaho, engaged in a The Wes,.••• an environmentalist beat back a strong West send no clear signals. However, months-long battle in the energy com- challenge from a Republican pro-growth there are a few common threads. Voters mittee over McClure's proposal to lift a (Continuedfrompage 1) candidate in the county commission seemed willing to try new leadership and federal ban that prohibits railroads or adding one more seat to the Democratic race. ideas on economic issues but remained their affiliates from mining federal coal. majority in the Senate. That will make Likewise, the environmental victo- conservative on social issues and reject- After 13 committee sessions, Melcher Democrats happy, but for conservation- ries