As a graduate of the College of Idaho (Albertson
College) I was excited and encouraged to read your recent article
on the Owyhee Initiative (HCN, 12/8/03: Riding the middle path).
The College of Idaho is only an hour from the wild landscape of the
Owyhee Canyonlands. I spent many a weekend escaping into the rugged
canyons and plateaus that make up this landscape, studying its
unique geology and exploring its vast wild lands. I am excited to
see both sides of this debate finally coming together, breaking
down years of animosity to achieve common goals.
Ten years
ago, on the campus of C of I, we tried to tackle many of the issues
that the Owyhee Initiative is on its way to resolving, and while we
fell short of a solution, I realized then that common ground could
be found and solutions could be crafted. The Owyhee
Initiative’s proposal is a major step forward. It will
protect some of Idaho’s most spectacular wild lands and
safeguard a rural way of life that has defined our state.
This is our chance and we should take it. The Owyhee Initiative has
given me new hope — the same hope I felt as a student from
the suburbs of Boise, talking about the future of Idaho’s
wild country with a student from a ranch family in the Owyhees.
It’s a feeling that perhaps everything is still possible.
Michael Carroll
Durango,
Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Owyhee Initiative brings hope.
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