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Environmental victories come in increments, not meetings

NEWS - From the July 19, 2010 issue of High Country News

By Ray Ring

A six-seater Cessna flew along the western edge of Glacier National Park on a perfect morning in late June. The sky was sunny, bright blue; the valleys glowed in lush green hues. The ice on the peaks gleamed brilliantly -- a huge wild version of what a queen would wear, justifying the region’s title as "the Crown of the Continent." by Garth Lenz, International League of Conservation Photographers

"I fly all over the West," the pilot, Bruce Gordon, crackled over the headsets. "This is really unique -- quite remarkable!"

Meetings don’t get any better than this -- or anyway, it was an extension of a meeting: Gordon’s outfit, EcoFlight, and the National Parks Conservation Association were providing air tours to journalists and dignitaries attending the annual meeting of the Western Governors’ Association.

The environmentalists used the scenery -- which included bulldozed clearings and other disturbances -- to show why the ecosystem around Glacier Park needs protection from gas drilling and coal mining. They and their fellows and predecessors have been working for more than 35 years to conserve the ecosystem, which sprawls over millions of acres.

these photos are courtesy of Paul Maude form Boulder Colorado. Here are two black bears feeding along camas road, comfortably watched form the safety of the vehicle...

right now is the best time of the year to be on going-to-the-sun road, you can ride your bike to the top or almost and won't have to put up with any vehicle traffic! Every Day should be like that!

there was four of us from the hostel heading up to the pass,