A friend whose opinion I respect responded to my post last night in an email offering more perspective on Proposition 137, the allocation of sales tax on sporting goods for conservation and wildfire prevention. She works in the field of wildfire governance, and was concerned about the confusing messaging the public is exposed to on this ballot measure. Here are some resources she shared showing the extent of support for the measure from conservation groups and “organizations who are doing place-based, on the ground work in [affected] communities.” Wish I’d known this before I voted. Grateful, though, to know my ballot has been received.
In case you haven’t voted yet, these might be helpful in making your decision. Here is some myth-busting from Vote Yes on Prop 137, and here’s a press release announcing the support of more than 170 women leaders in Colorado. Western Resource Advocates also supports the measure. These groups represent “the scientific consensus … on the efficacy of thinning and prescribed burning for reducing the risk of impacts from extreme wildfire.”
She said that this website opposing the proposition “erroneously applies science conducted in one geographic region to another (i.e. applies findings in the Pacific Northwest to Colorado forests), and intentionally misleads the public.” Her experience, having been personally affected by an extreme wildfire some years ago and doing extensive research on the phenomenon since then, leads her to question the person behind this website, as well as the choices of certain groups opposing it. Groups she’d like to trust, as I trusted the Center for Biological Diversity. She opined that “There may be reasons not to vote for prop 137, but expanded commercial logging and road building shouldn’t be one of them….”
I was so grateful to be able to do laundry this afternoon, and water the cherry tree, and take a long hot shower. The water situation is 90% resolved: the pump cuts on by itself now and the pressure tank appears to be fully functional. The plumber was sorry to leave without full resolution, but one of two caps on the pump “disintegrated” when he tried to remove it so he was unable to replace the brush on that side. A replacement cap has been ordered. I’m not recklessly running water, but I feel a lot more ease with what I am using. Lunch was a basic cheese sandwich, with a heaping side of gratitude.
An hour ago I received a Watch Duty alert that the air quality at my nearest station was above 100. When I opened the app I saw that everywhere else it looked fine, so I double checked on Paku, a dedicated air quality app, and was staggered to see it at 884. What could possibly cause such a spike? Now, at bedtime, it’s back down to 20. A fluke in the technology, perhaps. I’m grateful to head to bed tonight a little bit wiser and a lot more at ease.