Another interpretation I heard (from Rachel?) is that the farmers were going broke and the government bailed them out by buying their land to create the refuge. Eastern Oregon is not the lush and green Willamette Valley. In this Google Maps/Earth view, you can see the tell-tale circular sprinkler patterns of irrigation-intensive agriculture.
I can't create a link to it but there are "street view" images along the south shore of the lake showing what an inhospitable environment it is for everything but beautiful birds and the critters they feed on.
Glorious country. I really must do another road trip up there soon. I should probably organise it in conjunction to (finally) going through the the Scablands in Eastern Washington too.
The secret is to learn to see undeveloped countryside not as "idle" or "wasted" but as natural, unspoiled, primitive, pure. Then it doesn't have to look like Switzerland to be "scenic."
Admittedly, British Columbia is very, very 'scenic' but I personally love seeing geological features – doesn't matter to me if it's a majestic mountain range that's been shoved up diagonally, a rugged coastline, or a little natural hot spring that's been forced up to the surface, half the fun is getting there for me… and the more "unspoiled" the better.
Slightly OT, it was fun being in the 4.7 earthquake that shook downtown Vancouver the night I got over, just before new year. Very deep, but a little shunt, not any damage, despite the epicentre being just of the edge of Vancouver Island.
Go home, Bundy Bunchers. You're dumb.
Another interpretation I heard (from Rachel?) is that the farmers were going broke and the government bailed them out by buying their land to create the refuge. Eastern Oregon is not the lush and green Willamette Valley. In this Google Maps/Earth view, you can see the tell-tale circular sprinkler patterns of irrigation-intensive agriculture.
https://goo.gl/maps/CpmFGFAY8pt
I can't create a link to it but there are "street view" images along the south shore of the lake showing what an inhospitable environment it is for everything but beautiful birds and the critters they feed on.
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Aw, the birds deserve better than to have those idiots and assholes occupying their land.
Glorious country. I really must do another road trip up there soon. I should probably organise it in conjunction to (finally) going through the the Scablands in Eastern Washington too.
The secret is to learn to see undeveloped countryside not as "idle" or "wasted" but as natural, unspoiled, primitive, pure. Then it doesn't have to look like Switzerland to be "scenic."
Admittedly, British Columbia is very, very 'scenic' but I personally love seeing geological features – doesn't matter to me if it's a majestic mountain range that's been shoved up diagonally, a rugged coastline, or a little natural hot spring that's been forced up to the surface, half the fun is getting there for me… and the more "unspoiled" the better.
Slightly OT, it was fun being in the 4.7 earthquake that shook downtown Vancouver the night I got over, just before new year. Very deep, but a little shunt, not any damage, despite the epicentre being just of the edge of Vancouver Island.