High Country News Vol. 22.20, Oct. 22, 1990
Total Page:16
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..... ,S2&: ....... i""OCI da.Vt • A Paper for People who Care about the West -----------------------(( Will 1990 bring a greener West? _~ __ hy Steve Hinchman to purchase new state parks, green belts lenge from Republican Lt, Gov. Allen Kol- er posts have gained momentum in oppos- and open spaces. stad, a Republican win would probably tip ing the Waste Isolation Pilot Project nuclear As a testament to the power of the the scales against wilderness. repository proposed for Carlsbad. Nevada's new environmental awareness, politi- But in Colorado and Idaho, wilderness Democrats, who have led the fight against A growing grassroots con- cians who never seemed to care before will benefit no matter who wins. Senior the proposed high-level nuclear dump at cern for the environment is driving the now give lip service to environmental Republican Sens. William Armstrong and Yucca Mountain, seek to retain their hold West's 1990 elections. With a decidedly causes. And many others have scrambled James McClure, long known for their on the governor's mansion. greener electorate and more environmen- to cover poor environmental voting hard-line, anti-wildernessstances, are both One of the most interesting races is tal initiatives on the ballot, Western records. retiring. Their likely successors, Rep. Hank: in southeastern Utah, the traditional politicians are being forced to react. The exception is in the Northwest, Brown, R-Colo., and Rep. Larry Craig, R- stronghold of the Sagebrush Rebellion. Many are espousing _environmental where fights over old-growth forests and Idaho, are far more moderate, The depar- Six Native Americans have made a daring sensitivity and balanced economic devel- timber harvesting have spawned ardently ture of Armstrong and .McClure will bid on Ihe Democratic ticket to capture all opment ill'lhe wake of Ihe 20th anniversary anti-environmental, pro-development tick- change the balance of power for the West of San Juan County's elected positions. A ' ets. But even there, the heated, informed .in Congress. The Republicans will espe- victory would make San Juan the first State-by-state debate marks a maturation of the environ- cially miss McClure's powerful presence Indian-controlled county in Utah. pre-election coverage ment as one of the West's inescapable as the ranking Republican on the Appro- The only environmental black hole is bread-and-butter campaign issues. priations Interior subcommittee and the in empty, economically, depressed begins on page 10 The movement in the West appears . Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Wyoming. Republican Sen. AI Simpson to be independent of, and even ahead of, In the Northwest, old growth is the and both gubernatorial candidates are of Earth Day. Using waterfalls, wild rivers national politics. The Bush presidency, pivotal issue. Two Oregon Democratic pushing strong pro-energy platforms, hop- and wildlife as backdrops for their adver- foundering over the budget-deficit and candidates - secretary of state Barbara ing to capitalize on the new energy crisis tisements, cowboy-hatted politicians are distracted by the Persian Gulf crisis, has Roberts for governor and millionaire and bring the boom back to Wyoming. jockeying to appear in a favorable green offered Republicans no leadership on the businessman Harry Lonsdale for U.S. The new Issues on the ballot are light, But others are painting their oppo- environment. Nor are local Democrats Senate - are hoping to break the odds almost all in the form of initiatives. nents as environmental extremists to make following a green party line from their and ride into office on a wave of discon- Washington state environmentalists have their own positions look more moderate. party headquarters in Washington, D.C .. tent over federal timber-cutting policies. proposed statewide planning to control Admittedly, much of the green cam- Instead, the agenda is home-grown. If Lonsdale wins, he would lake out Sen. urban sprawl. In Oregon activists are paigning is little more than standard Fierce local pressures are forcing POliti- Mark Hatfield, a senior Republican and again trying to shut down a nuclear election-year rhetoric. But nearly every cians of all stripes to address the difficult one of the timber industry's greatest power plant and control excess plastic Western state has a major race that will environmental issues. allies in Washington. packaging. Arizona and South Dakota turn on a pivotal environmental question, Nevertheless, Democratic candidates On the other hand, Washi.ngton's have proposals to regulate solid- and such as wilderness, old growth, nuclear are far greener than their Republican coun- Democratic Rep. Jolene Unsoeld is fighting hazardous-waste landfills, and Nevada waste or energy policy. terparts. Take the wilderness issue. In a desperate battle against Republican state and Arizona voters will decide whether On issues too' hot for politicians to three key races - the Senate contests in Sen. Bob Williams to keep her .seat in or not to spend millions of dollars on touch, citizen activists have put nine Montana and Colorado and the fight for WashingtOn's heavily forested southwestern new parks and wildlife habitat. green initiatives on the ballot in five northern Idaho's Congressional seat - district, Williams has attacked Unsoeld's For the West, this November's elec- states. Their targets are rapid urban Democrats favor more and stronger protec- support for reducing timber harvests, tion is not only greener. It also is a grass- growth, hazardous waste and large land- tion of wild lands, while the Republicans In New Mexico and Nevada, the roots demonstration of political concern fills, nuclear power plants and surface are pushing to open more acreage to devel- hottest issue is nuclear waste. The Demo- that has the politicians on the run. mining. These initiatives could also opment. In Montana, where Democratic cratic candidates for New Mexico's gover- provid; millions of dollars in new taxes Sen. Max Banens is facing a tough cha!- IKr, attorney general and land commission- • ", -_. 2 <> - Higb Country! News - OCtober 22,19~'90i.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~•• Dear friends, new fall intern, Beth Jacobi, began the San Juan and Uncompahgre national Oct I after a season of instructing for Col- forests. The visiting Jarrett is the deputy orado Outward Bound's river program. editor's mother. Beth is from Choctaw, Okla., but bas grown A few days later Andy Nettell, a U.S. attached 10 the West after spending the past park ranger, dropped in from Moab, Utah, five summers working in Colorado and where he works for Canyonlands National Utah. In 1986 she was a volunteer BLM Park. Andy said his job was "fantastic, river ranger on the Arkansas River in Col- when they pay us," He decided to see the . 01300. Having discovered the joy of run- Black Canyon of the Gunnison River and ning rivers, she worked four seasons as a soak in Glenwood Springs' hot waters guide for Dvorak's Expeditions. Beth's during his unpaid forced holiday. degree from Oklahoma State University is Russ Sylvain, a subscriber and TV Beth Jacobi in wildlife ecology and communications. news director from Colorado Springs, and corners. We didn't see anything, but came to Paonia 10 visit his sister Diane. a tinderbox like a newspaper office is not Correction Driving over Kebler Pass, they saw the to be trifled with. Gretchen called the most beautiful golden aspen they'd ever mGH COUNTRY NEWS fire department. Heralded by screaming Billings, Mont, correspondent seen in Colorado, Diane said. She added (ISSN/0191/S657) Is publlshed biweek- sirens, they appeared at our door in two Patrick Dawson reported that 569 bison that she's been experimenting with pas- ly, except for one issue during July minutes - with hoses and hatchets mer- were gunned down two winters ago in tels for years to capture the colors of and one issue during January, by the cifully sheathed, since we had the whole Yellowstone National Park (HeN, aspen bark. High Country Foundation, 124 Grand issue all laid outnicely on the light table. Avenue, Paonia, CO81428. Second- 10/8/90). Our computer recorded only When Boulder resident John Jaycox Half a dozen volunteer firemen crowded class postage paid at Paonia, Col- 56 in the modem transmission over the. isn't building boats, he paddles them. He into our "kitchen" (about 3x5 feet) and orado. telephone. What happened to the other was on his way back from a trip down the sniffed with us. One of them suggested POSTMASTER: Send address changes 513? Only your long-distance telephone Grand Canyon when he stopped by 10 say to HIGH COUNTRY NEWS, Box 1090, that our fire was just the reek of garlic carrier knows for sure. hi. He and some friends paddled the 292 Paonia, CO 81428. from somebody's microwaved lunch, but miles in a mere eight days, spurred on by Subscriptions are $24 per year for then came a holler from the production Visitors the fact they had 10 carry all their supplies individuals and public libraries, $34 room, where a lone fireman, following a in their kayaks. per year for institutions. Single copies lead of his own, had detected an over- $1 plus postage and handling. Special Mary Louise Jarrett, a new reader heated ballast (strange nautical term) in a Issues $3 each, . from Alexandria, Va., drove down to Fire! fluorescent ceiling light. Within half an Mesa Verde with us the weekend of the hour, an electrician had fixed it. 'Thus federal budget crunch, only 10 be barred We had an impromptu fire drill last TomBeD ended the big fire scare of October 1990. Edilor EMerltu& from entry. She was a good sport about week after staff-bloodhounds back in the it, and focussed instead on the beauty of Ed Marston and Betsy Marston production room smelled smoke.