For the Miners in My Life

Several years ago I began encountering miners in small streams in the North Central Cascades.  I was curious.  Then I saw a suction dredge miner on the Wenatchee and I became even more curious.  My clients who want to conduct any kind of work in streams and rivers in Washington State have to apply and pay for, numerous permits from various state and federal agencies to do any sort of restoration or remediation work in our rivers and streams.  So, I wanted to know, what kinds of permits do small scale suction dredge miners have to obtain.

I spent a lot of time researching.  I read the New 49ers and all of the mining associations and clubs web sites, watched videos on mining rights, I read all the scientific evidence from the former EPA scientist (and watched the Idaho hearings).  I then read every study cited by California Fish and Game, the American Fisheries Society, and Trout Unlimited.  I read all the testimony in the hearings in Oregon regarding the change in mining laws enacted last summer.

And I realized Washington State's laws needed some reform.

I talked about this issue with hundreds of friends, colleagues, fellow outdoors men and women.  I talked about this issue with people who are my neighbors.   I talked about this issue with my state legislator.

I was asked to write an article, and I did.

And now I am told many of you are blasting my name and my firm's name, all over a Facebook group.  That you think I am behind a Facebook page that has posted some information about suction dredge mining that you don't agree with and believe is skewed.

I am all for spirited debate.  I understand you have your perspective, just as my colleagues and I, have our perspective.  Each of us have a right to discuss, among ourselves, our understandings.

That said, to call names, to create labels, to impugn character, to indulge in ad hominem, does no one any good.  Please keep the tone and tenor of your comments civil and gentlemanly.  I expect nothing less of my colleagues.  I have asked, because you are now getting "close" to what is my livelihood, my attorneys to monitor your comments.

Thank you.

Threats to Forests

I know, this is something we all "know," but it is nice to hear a federal official say it: threats to forests include land development.  Indeed, during this last decade, private forests were routinely cut then cookie-cutter houses stuck on the land rather than re-foresting.  In the meantime, we lost ecological services: shade, clean water, greenhouse gas sinks.

Shelterwood Consulting has long argued that we need to think through our policies and land use strategies for private forests.  Somehow we need to make it more profitable for forests to be managed as working forests than sold for real estate developments.  Instead of arguing over not having "any" tree cut, maybe, just maybe, we should think that well managed forests are far far better than myriad look alike homes that in the end never sold.

Recreational Conflicts

Just when you think most conflicts over natural resources are resolved, out pops, again, the age-old battles over who "owns" a river.

This is a perfect example why thoughtful conflict resolution and discussion over "ownership" of water is so important.

Urban Wildlife Conflicts

Usually we read about urban wildlife conflicts between humans and coyotes.  But here is an interesting article about Bald eagles and Great blue herons.  Obviously, the idea is we should be looking at what is happening in the larger landscape for answers on why  the Bald eagles are seeking out heron chicks as a food source.

Biofuels from Slash

An excellent article here about the complexities of creating biofuel from forest slash.

Stewart Udall -- Am American Hero

 

I grew up watching and listening to Stewart Udall.  Like Aldo Leopold, Gifford Pinchot, Bob Marshall, John Muir, Udall was a true patriot, loving this land as much as loving the people who are in it's boundaries.

Nuclear Power?

Several days ago there was a fabulous program about nuclear power on the local public radio station.  As the current Administration emphasizes increasing our nuclear power capacity, the debate over safety, cost, and eventual storage of waste for thousands of years should be examined closely.  These licensing decisions are not just decisions of a lifetime, they are decisions about the lifetime of Earth.