Spring Equinox 2009, Volume 14 #1

Note: This article is best viewed in the original with the associated charts and graphs - this is accessible if you download the full issue of the Road RIPorter v.14:1. 

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of this essay; we printed the first half in the last issue of The RIPorter (13.4). The essay appeared in its entirety in Forest Magazine in summer 2008, but was written in the late 1990s. The places of employment and/or titles of some of the characters have since changed.

I first heard about Tim Clarke and the Boulder Community Alliance (BCA) through Southern Utah’s excellent rumor mill. “The Boulder Town Council did WHAT?” I shrieked.

The sun is shining in the middle of February – not a common occurrence in Missoula, but a reminder that the Spring Equinox is just around the corner. It’s been a crazy winter as we and other activists adjust our strategies and consider new opportunities in light of the changing of the guard in Washington DC. There’s been a lot of change here in our office as well – read on for more details…

Sand dunes and sandy beaches contend with surf spray, storms, wind, and other extreme conditions. These coastal areas also face unique challenges related to population growth, climate change, and urban development and sprawl – more than half the U.S. population lives in coastal areas. And while these habitats and the flora and fauna that inhabit them are robust, they are also vulnerable to the impacts of human recreation and development.  In fact, the coastal zone is home to more than one third of U.S. federally listed species.