Tweets,

I've just received "Land Cover of Washington State: description and
management (Washington State GAP Analysis Project Final Report-Volume 1.
1997)" by Kelly Cassidy. I believe thi book is a very important tool for
those interested in conservation of terrestrial ecosystems in Washington
state. It provides an in depth quantitative assessment of conservation of
each major vegetation zone in the state. The conservation status of each
zone is subdivided into four status groups: from 1-4, with 1 being the
highest level of preservation (wilderness, national park, etc.), 4 being
the lowest (private lands, urbanized, industrial etc.). Number of hectares
and percentage of each zone in each status is given.

While there will be obviously be some areas of disagreement as to this
works interpretations, I believe it lays a brilliant and concise foundation
of the conservation status of Washington's ecosystems and clearly states
the challenges that lie ahead if we are to adequately preserve Washington's
fabulous biodiversity.

This major work exhaustively outlines what many biologists and naturalists
interested in preservation of Washington's biodiversity have sensed all
along: high altitude Cascade zones such as the alpine and subalpine (low
resource values) are abundantly represented in Class 1 status, while most
lower elevation zones lie in Class 4 status have received less protection
(higher commercial values). Here, for the first time, however, is a
quantitative ooverview of just where we stand.

I wish to commend Kelly and the GAP team which produced this work. I truly
hope the Washington conservation community embraces the results in this
work. It will undoubtedly place in perspective many, many issues which will
challenge us in the near future, as activists decide how and where to
devote their scarce resources. A couple examples:

1-should a minor expansion of the White Pass ski area, even if it mars a
few hundred acres of wilderness, be hotly contested? Why not say to the
Forest Service that the ski area project can go ahead if the Naches
District of the US Forest Service reclassifies an equal number of pristine,
oldgrowth (if any such acreage still exists on the Naches District)
ponderosa pine zone in Class 1 status lands in that district?

2-it is abundantly clear from this work that the big sagebrush/bunchgrass
zone is very poorly represented in Class 1 status. The Hanford Reach areas
now currently being debated (the Wahluke Slope and Saddle Mountain Refuge
are key Class 1 lands in this zone). If those 90,000 acres were turned over
to the private sector, a major loss of Class 1 lands in this zone would be
lost. Along with the priceless salmon fishery that is the Hanford Reachs'
steller attraction, the loss of these 90,000 acres would be serious.

Well, these are two current issues "in my neck of the woods" that Kelly's
work shed important light on. Everyone interested in naturally functioning
ecosystems in all corners of Washington state have their own areas they're
seeking to protect. This book, I repeat, will be an invaluable aid in
achieving adequate protection of Washington's biodiversity for the future.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA