Island Park vs The Druids

Last Friday evening, I had the opportunity to attend a public meeting on the Island Park National Monument designation. It was sponsored by the local Chamber, the Caldera Heritage Coalition and the Idaho Recreation Council. The event was well attended and was hosted by Ken Watts.

The presentation to State and Federal officials of petition signatures and the results of November’s advisory vote (93% against) was discussed. Staff members of our congressional representatives were in attendance to recount what was being done in our behalf to stave off the National Monument designation. Mr. Watts listed some of the environmental groups working for monument designation and the hundreds of thousands of dollars being funneled to them. It was difficult not to feel overwhelmed.

Environmental activism has become the religion of the secular left. They embrace the theology that humans are not part of the ecosystem. This overindulgent emphasis on the sanctity of “Mother Earth” is reminiscent of ancient druids.   The druids were an educated, professional class of Iron Age Celts centered in the British Isles and Gaul. Their religion was nature-centric.

Religious movements can become oppressive or even tyrannical when they are willing to use the power of the state to enforce their beliefs. The current administration has proven itself to be true believers in the gospel of global warming and environmental activism. Last week the Obama administration announced that it would seek wilderness protection for twelve million acres of Alaska. 

This action was conceived without consulting Alaskans. A 60 second video released by the president served as the state’s notification. 

While it is essential that the efforts of the “Say No to the National Monument” movement continue, the current administration will give no credence to the opinions of the “non-believers”. Our best hope is that congress will withdraw the presidential power of unilateral monument designations and that the Island Park National Monument is not high enough priority for a declaration to be made in the interim.

Citizens of Fremont County should demand that our county leaders 

do not employ those who secretly work against the will of the residents. This mess was created when a study group headed by county employees spent a couple of days pitching the idea of a National Monument to environmental groups. Thanks a lot!

Island Park doesn’t need an influx of druids to tell us how to protect the caldera. Local residents are great stewards of the environment. Druids should congregate at Stonehenge instead.       

Yellowstone Country Safety * False Snow Forecast *

My iPhone weather report indicated that were supposed to get snow every day last week. That was the most pitiful week of forecasted snow that I have seen!

Got Snow!

While Atlanta shut down over two inches of snow, I was a little nervous about the low snow level in Island Park. Three feet of accumulated snow may be daunting in many areas of the country but it is not adequate to accommodate the needs of the forest through the summer. It also leaves those who enjoy winter recreation with less than optimum conditions. February brought with it a new, thick blanket of white moisture. The additional snow was a welcome sight and hopefully foreshadows what late winter has in store for Yellowstone country.

Listening to the talking heads (not the band) expound upon the weather patterns seems like white noise. They try to explain why the weather is unpredictable and disruptive. One day the earth is suffering from global warming, the weather cools and we are in the midst of climate change. I have no doubt that the climate changes but it always has. The earth has gone through several ice ages and each time, warmed on its own. None of these cycles were man induced.

The same advocates that want to limit the use of wood burning stoves consider a forest fire nature’s way of renewing the earth. It is not burning of wood that creates climate change but who burns the wood. The argument has evolved to classifying carbon dioxide as a pollutant. The advocates would classify animal life as polluters because of what they exhale. If the earth’s climate was deemed in danger, it would necessitate a limit the number of people/animals creating the imbalance. Fortunately, the earth’s environment is resilient. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen as a byproduct. A rich carbon dioxide environment spurs the plant growth, maintaining the earth’s balance.

We all should be good stewards of the environment. Teaching good stewardship doesn’t require massive government programs or oversight. The Boy Scouts have been doing it for years. The cry of climate change inevitably leads to a demand for more tax money and limits on activities regardless of the harm that is done. The fix often causes more damage than the perceived problem. Just ask the residents of West Yellowstone or Island Park after snow machines were limited from Yellowstone Park. Then there are the windmills that have been installed throughout the country. I give them less than twenty years before many will be shut down. Conservationists will discover that too many birds are being killed by the rotating blades and demand action.

I am just grateful for the snow that we have been receiving and hope that this winter provides enough moisture for the country to have a safe summer and successful harvest. I find it best to tune out the white noise and enjoy the white solitude of the mountains.