Backcountry Climate Change
Is this now an annual event? In Western Washington, recent rains brought tremendous flooding, which killed at least one hunter, washed-out numerous roads, destroyed at least one campground, and entirely closed Mount Rainier National Park.
Like the approach of the holidays at years' end, it's become almost predictable that autumn floods of surprising intensity will wipe out access to our surprisingly underfunded national parks and forests. Surprise!
Only it shouldn't be a surprise. For many years now, climate scientists have warned that a warming atmosphere will bring increased floods to the Pacific Northwest. They may or may not look exactly like this past week's, but we can be fairly sure that we will see more of them and that they will have very similar effects. That's not good news for trails and outdoor recreation.
What's the Matter With Idaho?
What's the matter with Idaho? Nothing, really. As Eric mentioned, 5 of the 6 state ballot measures on "takings" failed, with 2 thrown out by the courts before the election, and 3 rejected at the polls. But Idaho represented the biggest defeat for the "takings" measures: Proposition 2 didn't just fail, it was crushed, with a whopping 76 percent of voters lined up against it. From the Boise Weekly:
The clearest, most resounding victor of election day 2006 did not wear a sharp business suit or have a firm handshake. Instead, a diverse coalition of interests brought down what seemed like a moneyed juggernaut: Proposition 2, a property "takings" initiative.
I'm as tickled as anyone about this. But I'm also more than a bit perplexed: how, in rural, conservative Idaho did a "property-rights" initiative get trounced so badly?
