August 18, 2004
Disturbing News from New Mexico
Nate sent me an article last week. A large energy company has been fighting for drilling privileges in public land that is used by the Boy Scouts of America as an extension of Philmont. The Bush administration has recently gotten involved, ensuring that gas drilling will happen in the Valle Vidal. This is the land where I fell in love with backpacking and backcountry exploration in general. I took two trips to Philmont on consecutive summers in my early teens. The second trip included a week in the Valle Vidal, and was my first experience camping in a completely undeveloped wilderness. The Scouts had only recently been given permission to use this public land, but it was a wonderful opportunity to take more motivated and able campers away from the theme park atmosphere of Philmont and show them a more challenging and mature way to enjoy the land. It is a beautiful land with the New Mexico desert filling valleys between pine-covered slopes and alpine peaks.
I have a hard time deciding what to think of this. Obviously, the last thing I want is to see the Valley of Life killed. Still, I have always hated the NIMBY attitude, and understand the near -term need for natural gas exploration. God, we have to find a better way to get our energy! In the meantime, aren't there less used and less loved lands that *may* contain natural gas?
The sad thing is that no one in the Bush Adminstration probably ever even *listened* to any of the arguments about wildlife, grazing, local population, or the Boy Scounts. You'd think that in the times we lived in there would be more important things to be "fast-tracked".
Of course, I'm torn, because even though I was a Boy Scout for many years, their recent legal troubles are troubling to me. You'd think the Bush administration would be more supportive of an overtly Christian evangelistic and anti-gay organization.
Posted by: Mike at August 18, 2004 7:12 AM