I know the 'Badlands' east of Bend well. Our Senator, Ron Wyden, is currently working to designate this area as 'Wilderness' and our town is heavily festooned with bright yellow lawn signs that loudly proclaim  - "Protect Badlands Wilderness".
 
Wild Wilderness chose not to take any position until we could read the language of the bill. Now that it's been introduced and having read it, it's my opinion that this bill is much improved compared to the Badlands legislation introduced two years ago. That said, I am not yet displaying a yellow sign in my front yard.
 
A decade ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to support just about any new Wilderness proposal. Today one can't ignore the fact that just because an area is designated as Wilderness doesn't ensure that the wildness of the place will be preserved. If one wants to get a clearer sense of how an area will likely be managed once designated, it's important to read the bill with care and to pay close attention to the associated buzz.
 
Appended are two items of buzz. The first  is a quote from Senator Wyden. The second is a online reader's comment to an article that appeared in our alternative media. I don't know the author, but knowing what I do about the Forest Service, the BLM, our local politicians, visitor's bureau and land managers, I appreciate the points he makes.

Scott
 

 --- begin quoted --- 

From Oregon Public Broadcasting,  May 28, 2008

Ron Wyden: “Seems to me, if we can get national recognition of the Badlands, that’ll be a big shot in the arm for recreation. And quality of life is a big driver of economic success in central Oregon, and that’s why I’m going to work hard to promote it.”

   
From "The Source Weekly",  June 14, 2008

Officially designating the Badlands a "Wilderness" is like hanging a giant neon sign over it saying, "Hey! Yoohoo! Look at me! Come drive out to visit me along with all the other people who need an official designation of "Wilderness" before they consider me worth their time. If it is so wonderful and solitary, why not protect it in a way that attracts less attention? Do we really need fancy bathrooms and all the other junk that justify charging a trail fee to park there? This will be another flashy feather in the cap of the whore that is Bend. But I'm sure the tourists will love it.
     - Luther Von Ruckerson

Comments (1) >>

Alan Gregory said:

"Economic success"? I hear this drivel from politicians who claim to represent Pennsylvanias all the time. And what they're really talking about is bulldozing the land.

June 21, 2008

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