From the Western Slope of the Mountains

By Frank Young

On A Roll

 My eleven years or so as a Conservancy member have seen a few up and downs for the organization. Some years we've had membership increases; some years we had declines. Some years we've had lean budgets; other years we had a little more. Some years we are active on many issues; some years we work less, coast more and mostly just have fun.

The past year has seen more change in membership, finances and activism than all my previous eleven years. And guess what? The changes have been for the better! Membership is up -- substantially. Membership dues, special project contributions and other income items are up -- again, substantially. Our activism, issue by issue is increasing.

We now have access to Blackwater Canyon for endangered species investigation -- under court oversight. Federal and state agencies are scrambling to try to see that they aren't sued over degradation of waters. Corridor H planners are still on the ropes, after 30 years. And, of course, the whole world knows that surface coal mining policies and practices have been stood on their pointed heads.

In short, we are on a roll.

How has this change in activism, membership and finances come about, in seemingly so short an order? It comes about because our members have decided that they do care about the land, and about the people and other creatures that live on the land.

Sometimes we respond strongest when we are challenged strongest. On Blackwater Canyon, for example, we sat more or less at idle for decades. Then we saw the Canyon come into the hands of a company that demonstrated active intent on spoiling this resource for all to achieve a temporary, private gain. We sprung into strong, effective action. The campaign to save the Canyon generated members, and financial support for the project.

On mountaintop removal mining (MTR), our years of patience spent cajoling and begging regulators for effective protection ran out. Our lawsuit demanding that the laws be enforced has had more impact than many would have ever thought possible. Again, we acted when we were challenged: a 3100 acre "routine" surface mining permit application, the biggest ever, stretched our patience beyond the breaking point. We sued for proper permit writing, and for enforcement. The shock waves are still reverberating in the coal industry and in legal and regulatory circles. This campaign, too, generated members and financial support.

It will take years to adjudicate and find equitable resolution of the issues we have taken on. In the meantime, new challenges will appear. New members will take up the torch on these new challenges. That's how we find the energy to be effective.

Members with a burning desire to face environmental challenges affecting the highlands use the Conservancy as a platform from which to launch campaigns for protection and preservation. That's how the Conservancy's founders saw it working; that's what our organization's by-laws contemplate.

And it's happening as we speak. Ain't it great!!??

Let's keep it rolling!!