A Buffalo Common Metaphor
Over the past few decades the High Plains have consistently been losing its population. So, in 1987 Doctors Frank and Deborah Popper introduced the idea of Buffalo Commons. They described this project as “A combination of literary metaphor, public-policy proposal, futurist prediction and ecological restoration project” (The Buffalo Commons: Its Antecedents). The essential focus of this project was to replace the ever decrease population by returning buffalo back to the Plains. This plan was originally met by rejection, however, the idea eventually began to take a hold (The Onset of the Buffalo).
The name “Buffalo Commons” was actually a metaphorical name for this buffalo return plan. Buffalo was used because of the buffalo’s symbol of substance by both Native American’s and early settlers. Likewise, Commons was chosen because of the need to treat land in the same manner as the air and water, commonly rather than individually. As the popularity for the plans increased the metaphor “Buffalo Commons”, began to take the form of a term. This metaphor, now term, is currently being used to describe the various plans that would allow for the creation of alternative futures for various regions (Buffalo Commons as Regional Metaphor).
The region surrounding the Columbia River is one of the metaphors that can be found for the term “Buffalo Commons”. In this region a serious debate is taking place over the removal of some of the dams along the river. By shifting the economic dependency on the river to alternative sources there is a hope that the Native Salmon will be able to re populate and flourish in an area were they had once been plentiful (Ka-bye).
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...ack to their natural state with buffalo being allowed to flourish. Through this reintroduction of the buffalo it is also hoped that a profit can be made from the sale of their meat. In the Columbia River region this alternative future would also include a partial return of the Columbian to its natural state, with the reintroduction of salmon it is hoped that the region can achieve the rival of salmon stocks.
In conclusion, we see that Buffalo Commons does not only involve buffalo, rather it is a term used to describe a plan giving a region an alternative future. Although these alternative futures are often met with opposition it is important to persist in these efforts, as well as being wiling to compromise for the benefit of all involved. With a plan that would result in all parties involved being satisfied the plan will, in all likelihood, be met with success.
The historian Richard White states the Columbia River, located in the states of Washington and Oregon in the Northwest portion of the United States, as an Organic Machine made by arguments that the habitat established by the environment dictates the survival of mankind. It was previously assumed that mankind dictates the laws of its existence and that the environment is simply a small obstacle that can be overcome. Richard White proves former beliefs about the relationship between mankind and its environment or habitat untrue through the book The Organic Machine by showing the reader why the Columbia River is a perfect example of an organic machine, how organic machines affect lives and different civilizations, and how the alterations that mankind makes can effect the river as a whole.
This extended essay will analyze the rhetoric of authors discussing the Glen Canyon Dam. These authors include: Jeff Rubin (The Place No One Knew), John McPhee (Encounters with the Archdruid), Russell Martin (A story that stands like a dam: Glen Canyon and the struggle for the soul of the West), and Jared Farmer (Glen Canyon dammed: inventing Lake Powell and the Canyon country). There are always two sides to an argument, one for one against.
...tivists are hoping for, especially when these threats are aimed at families and children. Salmon, like most of the tiny Idaho towns, is centered on family and community, and its residents do not take kindly to having either endangered; no child's life is worth than of an animal, no matter how beautiful, noble or majestic that animal may be.
... piece of wildlife within a city. The purpose of the project is to restore the refuge into a place that it really meant to be, an ecosystem fit to support the refugees within. It will bring back a real slice of nature back to everyone backyard. The improvement to water quality of the lake can finally support the organisms that used to live there. The improvement can be sighted with the appearance of the river otter and the disappearance of the smell. The smell that once drive away joggers and children will be gone enabling them to experience the beauty of the lake within its blemishes causes by humans. Children can finally experience the true of an actual sanctuary for all creatures both aquatic and terrestrial when the return of aquatic life recovers. This project is a small step to bring back the former glory of Oakland’s main aspect of attraction to the world.
Restoration of the Bison is something that has been going on for the past two decades. As a matter of fact, several Native American tribes have come together to form the Inter Tribal Bison Cooperative (ITBC) which has been set out to bring bison back onto the American plains in the midwest. Bison have an intimate relationship in the traditions and rituals of Native Americans. The importance of bison within the culture has made bringing back the bison an important issue in the preservation of wildlife. However, some of the arguments made by the ITBC show that the bison's economic value should be the main factor why they should be brought back. Yet others involved in this cause suggest that buffalo restoration could be an alternative to failing rural areas in the prairies. Opposition to this proposal comes mainly from those who reside in the affected areas. This topic does involve parties that have different interests in buffalo restoration.
Mundie, J.H., 1969. Ecological implications of the diet of juvenile coho salmon in streams. Pages 135-152 in T.G. Northcote, editor. Symposium on salmon and trout in streams, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
The San Joaquin River Project was a plan completed in 2009 made to recreate San Joaquin River, which was dried up after dams were built in 1942. The San Joaquin River restoration is to bring back water flows from the San Joaquin river to the Friant Dam, and to revive the salmon and other fish population. There are two articles debating whether they either agree or disagree with the project. I chose the article, “River Plan Too Fishy For My Taste Buds”. This article came from The Fresno Bee newspaper, which correspondingly means it came from Fresno. The type of people who live in Fresno are farmers, workers who work for other people, democrats, and people who care more about jobs rather than the environment. I agree with this article from The Fresno Bee because I believe Bill McEwen, the author of this article, is the better expert because of his credentials and achievements. I will be using the article “River Restoration Project Offers a Sprinkling of Hope” by Daniel Weintraub to back up my argument.
Species reintroduction has become a hotly debated topic, especially in the states experiencing actual reintroduction efforts. The reintroduction of the lynx into Colorado appeals to many who would like to return the area to it's pristine, pre-developed state. However, the actual costs, both financial and emotional, make this program impractical and illogical.
The Tragedy of the Salmon The United States Pacific Northwest has historically been a significant player in the global fishing industry. However, over the last half-century, the fish population in the area has been declining at an alarming rate. Popular species of fish such as cod and salmon have been particularly susceptible to these decreases. What once was a region flourishing with abundant fish populations, is now in danger of being exploited to the point of extinction of certain species. The majority of these population drops is attributed to increased industrialization and overfishing in the region.
Salmon Farms Pose Significant Threat To Salmon Fisheries In The Pacific Northwest, Researchers Find. (n.d.a). Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Retrieved February 18, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030923064756.htm
A group of historically antagonistic stakeholders attempted to compromise on water allocation, economic development, dam relicensing, and environmental restoration along the Klamath River and its tributaries. The current and historical resource conflicts in the KRB are symptomatic of its long history of environmental exploitation, and the conflicting uses of numerous livelihoods which depend on water for endurance (Doremus and Tarlock 2007). For nearly a century, clashes between fishers, tribes, environmentalists, and farmers have peaked and ebbed with water shortages and wet years. The Euro-American colonial legacy and the settlement and occupation of native territories has resulted in the dispossession of indigenous lands and waters, as well as the strict regulation of indigenous access to waters formerly under their jurisdiction by American government forces (Most 2006). The Klamath Hydroelectric Project(KHP) and its associated dams constructed along the Klamath River in the first half of the 20th century proved catastrophic for the region’s ocean and river fishing economies and indigenous livelihoods(Spain, Interview 9/19/2016). The causal link between dams and decreasing anadromous salmon populations was scientifically unfounded until the late 1990’s. Previously, decreasing salmon stocks were attributed to overfishing by indigenous peoples the
Trent Orr makes his case for the allocation of more water to environment by citing the example of salmon migration. Orr, criticizes Senator Feinstein’s decision to back a bipartisan bill being passed through the senate during the current drought conditions. This bill extricates the “protections for the San Francisco bay estuary”, in order to allocate more water to the central valley agriculture and cities. This will lead to endangering the rare species of fish like Chinook salmon, steel head and green sturgeon etc. (Lochhead, 2014).
The building of the dam has created a problem with the sedimentary flow along the Colorado River, and important aspect for creating and livable habitat for fish, plants, and other wildlife. Since the building of the damn, we have seen four fish species go extinct, and a few more on the brink
Crimes against Nature: Squatters, Poachers, Thieves, and the Hidden History of American Conservation, focuses primarily on the role of conservation in America’s national park system from the 19th-20th century and conservation’s consequences on the rural people of the parks. Specifically, he analyzes the connections between laws and social relations, giving the reader a different interpretation of this heavily scrutinized time period. Jacoby divides his analysis into three sections, Forest, Mountain, and Desert, and visits three case studies: Yellowstone, the Adirondacks, and the Grand Canyon. During the push for conservationism and preservationism, you mainly hear about the heroics behind the movement, but you rarely hear about the other side of the story. Jacoby does a good job of presenting the shadowed side of this historical period and the injustices experienced by the frontiersmen living in the area for many generations, suddenly being labeled as criminals and poachers. Societal transitions are always a messy process, with little thought of the minority, change can and must hap...
Thompson, Paul B. and Stout, Bill A. Beyond The Large Farm. Westview Press, Inc.: Colorado 1991