I was pleasantly surprised by the announcement last week that President Bush
was granting National Monument status to the northwestern Hawaiian Islands,
to help protect the ecology of the area. However, perhaps the
administration is developing a slightly more tolerable ecological stance, as
evidenced by this bit of news delivered by Charging Rino:
Newly-minted Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has rejected
a proposed policy shift for national park management which would have
allowed snowmobiling and increased commercialization, according to a report in today’s LATimes. Instead, policies will continue
to encourage preservation as the preeminent function of the park system.
Kempthorne said yesterday that preservation “is the heart of these policies
and the lifeblood of our nation’s commitment to care for these special
places and provide for their enjoyment.”
Sweet!