Governors Point Finding Harmony on the Chuckanut Coast Story by Ted Rosen
T
he history of outdoor recreation and preservation in America has always run parallel with the politics of land use. On one hand you have the visceral joys of experiencing soul-enriching activities such as hiking, camping, paddling, etc. On the other you have the eternal quest to monetize the land via development, resource extraction and the like. Yet these two vastly different human enstories & the race|play|experience calendar online.
deavors are forever entwined. In the last two centuries, America gradually came to understand the value of preserving land both for environmental reasons and to ensure opportunities for people to step outside the “developed” landscapes and to experience that stirring deep inside, that ineffable joy that wells up when we behold natural splendor. But not everyone agreed with preservationist ideals. As the population grew,
residential development created pressures on the land. Developers sought to convert “raw” land to housing tracts, often at the expense of the ecosystems that support our environment. They were often met with opposition from environmental groups. Soon after the cultural awakening of the 1960s, corporations formed alliances to counter the environmentalist message. Known today as “greenwashing”, merchant groups and lobbying organiza-
The heartbeat of Cascadia
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