Megaload Google Earth Tour on Highway 12 in Idaho

On September 13 2013 Judge Winmill again rules that U.S. Forest Service can halt Industrial Megagloads ( Wider, higher and longer truck transports than the highway was built for) while studies are done and the Nez Perce Tribe is consulted. (See the Idaho Rivers United web site for details on this current ruling.)

I started creating this Google earth tour in the fall of 2010 before the first megaloads were due to start moving and created the KMZ file in February 2011. The tour showing the narrow Idaho Highway 12 along the Wild & Scenic Lochsa River. You can see the narrow bridges and canyon walls where the huge megaload trucks have to travel.

Download the 6GEMegaloadsTour.kmz file here.

An automated tour that lasts about 9 minutes is available when you double click the "Megaload Tour (Play this first!" icon just under the Google Earth KMZ icon which you should see in your "Temporary Places" in the Google Earth browser. You can pause (II) the controller bar that appears in the bottom left of the Google Earth map window and use the navigation tools to explore the map as you wish. When you hit the Play (>) button the tour will resume from where you paused it.

For example, in Google Earth you can turn on the street views and see panorama photos taken from the highway. You can also turn on the Panoramio photo layer to view photographs people have submitted over time.

Who thought the Snake River Plain aquifer was "unlimited?"

A 4/05/10 article in the Idaho Statesman titled - "Barker: Water dispute shows how rural Idaho's clout is fading" states that "Many irrigators in Eastern Idaho believed the aquifer was 'unlimited'…"

Here is a link to an Overview of the Snake River Plain Aquifer - From the Digital Geology of Idaho web site. Hydrologic and geologic conditions, physical characteristics, and human impact are described. References also provided.

The Mesa Falls video below shows a large quantity of water flowing from the Henrys Fork of the Snake River in Eastern Idaho. Some water from the Snake River tributaries seeps down into the aquifer. For example, here is a link explaining how the Big and Little Lost Rivers become subterranean, feeding the aquifer.

(Here is a link to a High Definition version of the Mesa Falls Video)

Even 150 years ago, before most "Water Law" was established in the west, some historians had published knowledge of local, regional and worldwide problems related to this kind of natural resource myth. How does a population of educated people let itself create these kind of short term problems that would have different outcomes if long term sustainability could have been established as a goal by politicians, businesses, and the public initially? My view is that it is imperative that a much more balanced public participatory process is necessary. Everybody has to be a stakeholder in sustainability issues, not just politicians, government, businesses and special interest groups.

The question from now on is - how are we going to deal with natural resource sustainability decisions that affect everybody in Idaho and ecosystems that affect us and other western states, the US and countries around the world?

Again as I have stated many times in this blog, my view is that the Internet via open source and networking tools is becoming a transformative opportunity for more public information to become available and for many more people to become much more active participants in future natural resource and ecosystem sustainability decisions. I am trying to push my friends and associates to learn how to use these tools more effectively and to share their experiences with the rest of us.

Idaho "Citizen Science" Water Monitoring opportunity?

On March 29, 2010 Sara Cohn of The Idaho Conservation League created a Facebook comment and a blog post and on the ICL Community titled "Cutting Water Quality Monitoring is Pound Foolish." The thrust of the post is that the Idaho State Department of Water Quality has announced they are gutting its water quality-monitoring budget at least for the next two years. Sara notes that "Water is the lifeblood of our communities, offering recreation, enjoyment, and sources of drinking water. Without monitoring information about these precious resources, Idahoans will not be able to identify problem streams or sources of pollution."

In response I wrote the following comment on the ICL Facebook and Blog pages.

I would like to suggest that a new era of transformational Internet networking tools are becoming available to enable"Citizen Science" projects to monitor sensitive water resources and other environmental topics that affect the quality of life in our living

communities. At least in the interim period, until the State budget improves (and DEQ agency priority changes), I believe it is possible students and teachers, concerned citizens, scientists, retired people and others may be interested, and even excited, to have the opportunity to contribute to important water quality knowledge, especially as it relates to the specific geographical locations and time frames where they live, and recreate.

In Idaho and other states over several years I have been in the presence, and have videotaped high school science classes and other volunteer groups learning how to gather basic water quality monitoring data and create geo referenced and time dated reports for their communities. And I have also been actively involved with many others in learning how to initiate networking opportunities for environmental interest projects including the use of internet tools and initiatives including the GeoWeb, ImageWeb, MobileWeb, Interest/SocialWeb, OpenSourceWeb and Semantic/Linked Data Web.

If readers of this comment are interested in starting a discussion project or group about the Idaho citizen science water quality monitoring issue please leave another comment here or contact me through my profile or this blog site.

Heart Of Idaho - The Wild White Clouds

Uploaded repurposed 1991 multimedia show "Heart of Idaho - The Wild White Clouds"

Produced for the Boulder-White Clouds Council in 1991, originally as an 18 + minute 3 projector multi-image traveling road show, then transferred to video in 1992. Produced by Katy Flanagan and Gary O. Grimm Mountain Visions, Boise, Idaho. Digitized for archival and historical purposes for the Internet in 2010. Script by Pat Ford. Music courtesy of Steve Eaton and Wayne Millward, Seagate Productions. Photography and narration credits at the end of the program.

Image Web / Upper and Lower Mesa Falls, Eastern Idaho

On this blog I have written comments about the "Image Web." YouTube, Flicker, Panoramio, Picasa, Facebook and other services contain increasing numbers of images contributed by ordinary people.  It is just amazing how much growing interest there is in this kind of participatory involvement.

For example, YouTube has provided much higher video quality recently.  I have uploaded several HD videos to my YouTube web page.  An option is available there to send the videos to a Blog.  I intended to send these two (Upper & Lower Mesa Falls and Google Earth Fly-in to Sal Creek Restoration) to my Video Blog site, but they ended here instead.  

An option to see this YouTube Video in "High Definition" quality will become visible (after you hit the > play arrow) by moving your cursor over the ^ arrow on the right bottom side of the video window.  The window size stays the same, but the quality is improved dramatically.

Decline of Common Backyard Birds

In Idaho, the west and worldwide the sight and sounds of common backyard birds is becoming less common. Bird watchers, scientists and anyone interested can see overwhelming evidence that this decline is due primarily to the loss of critical natural habit resources such as grass, shrubs, trees and water. Many of the same human development actions that are responsible for the increase of "Greenhouse Gases" also cause this habitat decline.

Recent News reports in the Seattle Times, The Oregonian (Oregonlive.com) and CNN.com have provided articles about a recent National Audubon Society Report that notes some species have lost more than half their populations in the past 40 years.

Video below - Sparr0w & Song- near Boise River.
by Gary Grimm - Mountain Visions


The Audubon web site contains a section called "State of the Birds" where it is stated that,
"Birds are important indicators of the overall health of our environment. Like the proverbial canaries in the coal mine, they send an urgent warning about threats to our water, air, natural resources, climate and more." On another page called "Common Birds in Decline" it is reported that "Since 1967 the average population of the common birds in steepest decline has fallen by 68 percent; some individual species nose-dived as much as 80 percent. All 20 birds on the national Common Birds in Decline list lost at least half their populations in just four decades."

A conclusion provided on the same page is: "The findings point to serious problems with both local habitats and national environmental trends. Only citizen action can make a difference for the birds and the state of our future."

If citizens want to see and hear a variety of birds, and want future generations to have the same opportunity to enjoy the many additional values that birds provide, we all need to be more active in making our views known to our friends, neighbors, communities, businesses and lawmakers. Social Networking concepts on the Internet that I am discussing in this Blog should provide some of these opportunities. If you are in Idaho and interested in being involved in a networking group about this topic please leave a comment or contact me personally.

Al Gore - Positive Idaho News

Kudos to the Idaho Statesman for their positive editorial today on Al Gore's speech and a "Call to action." Hopefully this will simulate more local citizens to become more actively involved in personal and local organizational efforts to control pollution causing Global warming. I am considering trying to start a Wiki group to help share project ideas and efforts that already exist and to stimulate ideas for new projects. I will write more about this as time permits. Comments are welcome!

On January 23, the morning after Al Gores speech in Boise this week The Idaho Statesman published an article by Anne Wallace Allen titled "Gore charms, daunts crowd of 10,000 at Taco Bell Arena." Even though the article accurately reported that the crowd was cheerful and raucus, I wondered about the word "daunt" in the title, a few paragraphs about a "half dozen" protesters and a final negative sentence from one student, leaving the speech halfway through, that "He's not a scientist; he's a politician."

I looked at the online version of the paper today to see if anyone was commenting about this first, article and the slight impression of despair and pessimism I felt was implied by the earlier Anne Wallace Allan article. I did not find any public comments yet, but was encouraged to see the Idaho Statesman has written a new and very interesting Opinion > Editorial titled, "Our View: This is the time for action on warming."

The new statesman opinion does not apply the term "daunt" (discourage) to Al Gore, but did apply the words "denial and despair" to our politicians and those people who are convinced that we do not need to change our behavior - "in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence" that global warming caused by human activities is real. This opinion states a much more positive review of Al Gores speech quoted below:

This is no time for denial or despair. It's a time for action. If it originates at the local or state level, so be it. In a 105-minute speech on global warming Monday night, former Vice President Al Gore took on the skeptics and the doomsayers — and challenged Idahoans to lobby on behalf of the planet they'll pass on to their children.

The opinion article also noted that Gore argues effectively that "Idaho is not immune." "Climate change contributes to disease and wildfire in the forests. Global warming could bring drier summers and lower streamflows — while early snowmelt and spring storms provide a recipe for flooding. On top of that, he says, Idaho soil could lose up to 30 percent of its moisture, essential to growing." The article also notes that Gore gave examples of companies, cities (including Boise), and the global community that is already creating examples by making contributions. The article continues with the following comments that I quote.

"As Gore aptly puts it, political will is a renewable resource. Boise's political will poses a model to other Treasure Valley cities, and to state leaders."

"A Republican Legislature and a Republican governor may be tempted to scoff at the Democrat Gore's challenge to tackle global warming. But they should not dismiss Boise City Hall's commitment."

"And they would be foolish to ignore a sellout crowd of 10,000, engaged enough to pack a basketball arena on a Monday night to hear a presentation on global warming. It was the largest audience to hear Gore's presentation in one sitting, said Garry Wenske, executive director of Boise State University's Frank Church Institute, which sponsored the speech."

As I am about to post this I also read another interesting online story in the "New West" - The Voice of the Rocky Mountains. Dated 1-22-07 and written by Jennifer Gelband the article is titled "Gore Speaks; Now's Your Chance to Respond." Several comments are available.

Idaho Environmental Summit - Postscript

Summary: 1. My opinion is that Wikis, Blogs and Discussion groups on every topic at this Idaho Environmental Summit should be made available to citizens of Idaho and other bordering states to provide an ongoing dialogue about all of the important topics: (See topics listed on this Blog on Wednesday, November 29, 2006)

The sessions related to Soverign Native American Tribes were especially interesting and naturally they have a hightened sensitivity to public information that is available. Hopefully elder and young Native American people can get involved in this global communication network and help us all understand their views.

Postcript: After contacting the organizers of the Idaho Environmental Summit about attending they asked me if Mountain Visions could produce a "slide show" of Idaho Outdoor images including slides of Summit Partners. In return we could set up an exhibit booth to demonstrate our various ongoing projects and services. The "slide show" was well received and the exhibit booth was visited by many people who gained an appreciation of our involvement with interactive and collaborative natural resource, ecosystem and environmental web site networking projects. We had set up two 23 inch monitors with two laptop computers to show High Definition 360 degree panoramas, video and Google Earth demonstrations.

As is common in many conferences many overlapping sessions held at the same time meant that people had to choose one session at a time or move from one session to another, missing part of each. I also had to be at the Mountain Visions exhibit booth when interested people were visiting and was not able to attend many of the interesting sessions. I, and others, asked the conference organizers if all of the conference presentations would be made available on the Idaho Environmental Summit web site after the conference. Apparently this process was not specifically planned for, but I was assured that they would try to gather and post the papers and power point presentations in the near future. I offered to show them how we had developed similar post conference materials for a Conservation Training Week Conference for the Jamaica Protected Area Trust in March of 2006.

I will continue to monitor the post conference activities of the Idaho Environmental Summit on this Blog as time permits.

Idaho Environmental Summit - Boise December 5-7, 2006

The first annual Idaho Environmental Summit will be held in Boise, Idaho -December 5-7, 2006.

I plan to attend this meeting. It will be interesting to examine if and how this conference may stimulate the use of social networking concepts in the future. New online technologies, some of which I have identified on this Blog, should allow all of the topics that are being highlighted at the Summit to be discussed throughout the year and in the future by interested citizens.

The web site notes that "The mission of the Idaho Environmental Summit is to provide an annual event for the people of Idaho to work together to achieve a healthy environment through communication, education and action. "

Over thirty partner organizations are working together to provide an agenda full of sensational and nationally recognized speakers in six keynote events and over fifty breakout sessions. Environmental subject areas include:

Energy
Land Use
Sustainability
Water Resources
Air Quality
Regulatory Compliance
Fire
Treaty Rights and Trust Responsibilities
Fish and Wildlife
Community Building and Environmental Science
Recreation
Cleanup and Remediation
...and much more.

I will write a report here after the meeting is concluded.

Only 1500 Comments on Idaho's Roadless Plan

After President Bush rescinded the Clinton 2001 Roadless mandate governing 58 million acres of roadless land in America, he gave state Governors the opportunity to come up with their own plan. This action has been overturned by a U.S. Magistrate Judge, until a full environmental impact study is done.

Meanwhile, some states including California, New Mexico, Oregon and others have chosen to keep development out of roadless areas. But Idaho's Governor Kempthorne directed the County Commissioners to conduct public hearings to come up with a petition to create new plans to allow development in roadless areas in Idaho. Meanwhile Kempthorne has become the new Secretary of Interior and interim Governor Risch (who has just over a month left to serve) has just announced his own plan minimizing the allowable roadless areas from 9.3 million Idaho acres down to 3.1 million acres.

The Idaho Statesman today wrote an article about this plan and noted that 1500 Idaho Citizens had commented at the public hearings held in Idaho this past year. My reaction - only 1500 comments on an issue that affects everybody in this state, forever? How can politicians be so arrogant and dis serving of the public to act on so little public input? The people of Idaho and the U.S. deserve better.

When President Clinton was considering the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 it was supported by more Americans than any other similar rule in U.S. History. 1.6 million comments were made and more than 95 percent supported the Roadless Rules. Bush, Kempthorne, the County Commissioners, and Risch know these facts, but chose to insult the will of the American people by choosing their own form of public input.

I hope that some of the new Social Networking opportunities on the Internet will start to develop a public reaction to the decisions by politicians who create plans that affect everybody in Idaho and other states as well, when only 1500 people comment.