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作者：約翰貝登及賈許查佛， 山腰上的作家
高鄉新聞 (High Country News) 的發行人艾德瑪斯頓 (Ed Marston)，在2000年四月十日的報紙上宣稱：「開發利益與環保運動爭奪中西部公有土地控制權的戰爭即將結束。林業時代、畜牧時代、大型水壩時代、智慧型使用時代都將過去。廣大土地的目前用途與生命型態，會在很短的時間裡發生轉變。」
他說得沒錯。一股結合經濟、文化與生態的力量，已經大幅地改造了西部政治生態。
樹木在新西部極為風行圖片：USDA 林務局
從南北戰爭到1970年的第一個地球日以來，西部一向擁有和諧一致的政治、文化與經濟，這些層面都因天然資源的開採而密切結合。但人們高估了這些資源的數量；礦藏最豐富的岩床、品質最好的原木，以及最佳的設壩地點都被開發過了。最能獲利的機會大部分都已經消耗殆盡。而且對已經十分富有的美國而言，伴隨財富與教育而來的，是對生活環境關心正逐漸增加。
柯林頓總統一項將四千萬英畝國有森林設為無路區的提案，正突顯了這些改變。儘管有人批評這項政策是當局「對西部開戰」的一部份，然而連保守派的財政官員及絕大部分西部居民都贊同這項決議，即使他們對柯林頓與其決策過程都感到厭惡。
與西部傳統經濟關係密切的政客聲稱，柯林頓的政策會減少工作機會。不過，無路區並不受這個理由影響：這些地區絕大部分經濟價值都很低；若沒有直接或間接補助，在這些地方開採資源並不可行。聯邦土地是政治用地，而且比一般土地享有更多補助。因此，其開發成本常被忽略、扣除、或是模糊掉。新西部的公民必須要更加妥善計算這些成本。
資源開發不再是西部的經濟主力。蒙大拿州索諾倫學院的經濟學家，雷芮斯克 (Ray Rasker) 表示自1970年以來，「蒙大拿州新增加的工作機會超過15萬個，其中沒有一個新工作是在礦業、石油與天然氣、農業、畜牧業、或木製品等產業。」開發性產業是出了名的不穩定，商品價格也一再下滑。舉例來說，伐木業正離開西部，轉移到東南部及國外。同時，技術上的改進也降低了勞力需求。
如今，西部新增的工作機會是由高科技企業與服務帶來的。服務業包括法律、醫療服務、軟體、資料處理、金融及工程方面的專業。儘管這些不是傳統的西部產業，卻和開發性產業一樣，仰賴開放空間與天然資源。原因何在？因為專業人士越來越具流動性，他們會被環境設施豐富的地點所吸引。如果經營得當 (在聯邦政府管理下，這點很難說)，無路區將為提供新西部健康經濟提供一個大本營。
流過的是河流，而不是路。
大眾對林務局所表示的看法，則是一面倒地支持保護無路區。愛達荷保育聯盟辦的民意調查指出，整個西部絕大多數民眾支持無路區政策。即便在愛達荷州，即使提到這是柯林頓政府的提案，57%表示意見者仍然支持此政策。不提到柯林頓時，支持率更是躍升到64%，這數字恰與多項數據並列，包括愛達荷州民釣魚打獵的人數比 (65%)、支持保守派參議員賴瑞克雷格的比率 (66%)、以及在小布希與高爾之間，選擇小布希的三分之二。
此外，雖然伐木業產量減少了，民眾對森林的休閒性使用卻成長到1950年的13倍。最主要的休閒性使用是在由林務局維護、總長83,900英哩的汽車道路上開車兜風。目前，林務局有84億養護道路及重建道路網的閒置預算，然而，若想要全面養護道路，這還只是所需經費的20%而已。限制新闢道路 (不管是合法還是非法，例如車輛開在一般道路外壓出的小徑)，在生態與經濟考量上都很合理。
無路區提案也會限制其他浪費且具破壞性的計劃，包括砍伐矮松/杜松、 廉售原木，以及興建輔助灌溉系統
儘管之前預料到這事的人不多，西部保護區已成為該地區最重要的經濟資產。在土地由負責任的地主妥善經營前，柯林頓的政策將保護這項新西部賴以生存的資本。
全文詳見: http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/
imho/imho042800.stm
版權歸屬 Earth Day Network，環境信託協會 (王秀毓 譯，朱敬平審校)
中英對照全文詳見：http://news.ngo.org.tw/issue/ecoeco/
issue-ecoeco00060101.htm
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by John A. Baden and Josh Zaffos, Writers on the Range
Ed Marston, publisher of High Country News, proclaims in his paper's April 10, 2000 issue: "The war between extractive interests and the environmental movement for control of the Interior West's public lands is drawing to a close. The timber era, the cattle era, the mainstem big-dam era, the wise-use era are ending. An immense landscape is going from one set of uses to another set of uses, from one way of life to another, in an astoundingly short time."
He's right. A conjunction of economic, cultural, and ecological forces have radically transformed Western politics.
Trees are tredy in the New West Photo:USDA
Forest Service
From the Civil War until the first Earth Day in1970, the West had a coherent politics, culture, and economy, glued together by the exploitation of its natural resources. But these resources have been high-graded. The richest ores, finest timber, and best dam sites have been exploited. The most beneficial opportunities are now largely exhausted. Further, the nation has become immensely wealthy. And with wealth and education comes heightened environmental sensitivity.
President Clinton's proposal to set aside 40 million acres of national forest as roadless areas capitalizes on these changes. Although the initiative has been criticized as part of the administration's "War on the West," fiscal conservatives and the vast majority of Westerners could applaud the decision, even as they abhor both Clinton and the process.
Politicians who are tied to the traditional economy of the West claim Clinton's initiative will eliminate jobs. However, roadless areas are undisturbed for a reason. Most of them have low economic value. Without implicit or explicit subsidies, resource extraction on these lands would be infeasible. Federal lands are political lands and heavy subsidies the norm. Therefore, the full costs of exploitation have been ignored, discounted, and obscured. Citizens of the New West demand better accounting of these costs.
The extractive sector no longer drives the Western economy. Ray Rasker, a Bozeman, Mont.-based economist with the Sonoran Institute, notes that since 1970, "Montana has added over 150,000 new jobs, and not one of the new net jobs has been in mining, oil and gas, farming, ranching, or the woods products industry." The extractive industries are notoriously unstable, and commodity prices continue to cascade. The timber industry, for example, is leaving the West for the Southeast and foreign countries. Concurrently, technological improvements reduce the demand for labor.
Now, increased opportunities in the West are created by high-tech enterprises and services. The service sector includes professional occupations in law, health care, software, data processing, education,
finance, and construction. Although they are not the traditional Western jobs, these occupations, like those in extractive industries, depend upon open space and natural resources. Why? Because professionals are increasingly footloose and are drawn to locations rich in environmental amenities. If well-managed - an uncertain prospect under federal ownership -- roadless areas provide a base for a healthy economy in the New West.
A river runs through it, not a road.
Public comments to the Forest Service have Overwhelmingly supported protecting roadless areas. Polls conducted by the Idaho Conservation League found that majorities across the West favor the roadless initiative. Even in Idaho, and even with the Clinton Administration's tag attached to it, 57 percent voiced support for the initiative. Without mention of Clinton, support jumped to 64 percent, a number in line with Idahoans who fish and hunt (65 percent), support conservative Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) (66 percent), and favor George W. Bush two-to-one over Al Gore.
Further, while timber production has slowed, public Recreational use of the forests has grown to 13 times its 1950 rate. The largest recreational use is driving for pleasure on the 83,900 miles of Forest Service roads maintained for passenger vehicles. Currently, the Forest Service has a backlog of $8.4 billion in road Maintenance and reconstruction for its existing network. Yet, it receives only 20 percent of the funding it requires to fully maintain these roads. Restricting the construction of new roads - whether they are legal or illegal, as in the case of renegade off-road vehicle trails - makes ecological and economic sense.
The roadless proposal would also constrain other wasteful and destructive projects, including chaining of pinon pine/juniper, below-cost timber sales, and subsidized irrigation schemes.
Though few anticipated it, the West's protected lands have become the region's most important economic asset. Clinton's initiative would protect the capital upon which the New West depends until the land is managed by responsible owners. |
