An, but this compromise is akin to a thief agreeing to give back some of the money stolen from a mugging. 🙂

Compromise! The American way, or the way it used to be before all this radical polarization started.

That is my understanding as well. But there will be some lost in the end. Or at least that is what predict.

I’m no legal expert but it my understanding that there would be no cost in the mean time (no shrinking of or development within the current monument boundaries) because no action can be taken by the administration until the lawsuits are settled.

Ah, but the trend is to make places less wild and remote over all. Even before Trump. See something I just published. 🙂 As I said, a balance will be struck, but at what cost in the mean time?

Anyway, there was a great push to increase awareness of the environment. A popular TV commercial then was of an Indian with a tear on his cheek paddling through a trash-filled stream. You can see it on YouTube.

But, things got better. For instance, I think it was Lake Erie was considered a dead lake. A few years later it was revived through conservation efforts. We also got recycling started. Unfortunately, these last couple of generations seem to have forgotten (or were never taught) because I see them throwing trash on the streets all the time.

On the other side of the conservation efforts, there were strict conservationists who thought fire suppression was the best way to preserve our forests only to find out decades later that it was actually a good thing for forests and part of their reproduction cycles. We were learning.

I remember thinking back then that if they continued making land use laws stricter that we may end up with a country with the most pristine land in the world but with people starving for want of jobs. This can be seen in some cities and states where it takes a decade of environmental studies and millions of dollars to get a permit to construct housing. So, our housing costs skyrocket hurting the poor.

The nice thing about America is that we are a country of laws. Everything will be played out in the courts. I suspect that a balance will be achieved. It’s too early for a gloomy take on these recent developments.

Letters to the editor and to congresspersons/senators are always appropriate. If, as in my case, your senators and congressperson are already supportive, it doesn’t hurt to encourage them!

I’m waiting for the next axe to fall on Cascade/Siskiyou and its unique environment.