Not in my playground!
Meet the NIMPs, ardent conservationists and defenders of wildlife, such as the reintroduction of wolves -- until their preferred recreation is threatened
Sunday, January 30, 2005
H. BRUCE MILLER

We all know NIMBYs, those folks who say "Not in My Back Yard!" to every development proposal that comes anywhere near them. Researchers have even identified a subspecies called BANANAs -- "Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody" -- who oppose any and all development, whether it's close to them or not.

In recent years, a distinct new breed seems to have emerged. I've dubbed them the NIMPs, for "Not in My Playground."

Chances are you know a NIMP or two. You may even be one yourself. Most of us have a little NIMP in us, when you get right down to it.

NIMPs are ardent conservationists, staunch champions of wilderness and natural areas, protectors of endangered species -- as long as these noble goals don't interfere with their own preferred forms of recreation or favorite vacation spots.

Current case in point: wolves.

These wild canines have been reintroduced in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. It's only a matter of time before they start moving into Oregon.

Bringing these primal animals back to Oregon has wide support from wildlife lovers, especially from city dwellers west of the Cascades whose closest encounters with wolves come from watching the Animal Channel. Look east and you'll see that farmers, ranchers and hunters have a much different point of view.

Next month, a state agency will discuss what to do about any wolves that make their way to Oregon.

Ben Boswell, a Wallowa County commissioner and former rancher from Enterprise, sees it this way: "Call it the Tom McCall Plan for Wolves: You may visit, but you can't stay."

The problem, Boswell says, is well-meaning people just don't understand the challenges of rural life -- and the sometimes ugly side of nature.

"I remember during the debate over cougar hunting there were pictures of cougars being treed and mauled by dogs, but there was never a picture of what cougars do to calves and lambs."

Then there's the proposed ban on leg- hold traps, another state measure strongly backed by westsiders. "There was an exception for mousetraps because of course mice are a problem for urban people," says John O'Keefe of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association.

Snowy plover backlash

Although westsiders are eager to defend wolves, bears and cougars hundreds of miles from where they live, they can get downright nasty when some critter threatens to interfere with their lifestyle, even one as tiny and harmless as the snowy plover.

To save this small shorebird from imminent extinction, the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation proposed restrictions on human activity during part of the year on less than 60 miles of Oregon's 200 miles of beaches. Even such innocent pastimes as flying kites and walking a dog would have been forbidden in sensitive areas.

The resulting outcry was loud enough to peel the gold leaf off the state capitol's dome. "You won't take away OUR beaches for the sake of some lousy birds!" was the basic theme. The poor plover was ridiculed in letters to the editor for being stupid enough to lay its eggs on the sand and was told it had better adapt -- or else.

Its plan flattened by westsiders, the state drastically scaled back plover protections. In the new version, kites and dogs, on leashes, will be allowed. NIMPs vs. mountain bikers

But NIMPism isn't just about wildlife. NIMPs also will fight against protecting the land -- Mount Hood, for example -- if protections interfere with their fun and games.

The Oregon Natural Resources Council and other conservation groups have been working for years to get Congress to designate a new wilderness area on the lower slopes of Mount Hood. Mountain bikes aren't allowed in wilderness areas, so enthusiasts from both sides of the Cascades worried that the new wilderness designation could shut them off from some of their favorite trails.

Under pressure from mountain biker organizations, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., came up with a plan that would create something called the "Mt. Hood Pedalers Demonstration Experiment," or "Hood PDX." Under Hood PDX, bikers would be allowed to use trails within the wilderness on a three-year trial basis. Wyden's bill also would allow the use of chain saws, normally strictly forbidden, to keep the bike trails clear.

Mountain bikers are nearly ecstatic about the Wyden plan. But conservationists fear allowing mountain bikes in wilderness sets a bad precedent.

"Some (mountain bikers) are total environmentalists; they walk the walk," says Erik Fernandez, a Oregon Natural Resources spokesman. "There are others who don't want to give up an inch of dirt that they can ride their bikes on."

Can the natural human tendency toward NIMPism be overcome? Bob Freimark, an analyst for The Wilderness Society, says he thinks so, but he acknowledges it's a constant battle.

Taking the snowy plover example, Freimark says: "There's some resistance that's thrown up initially. People say, 'How could me walking my dog on the beach cause the extinction of an endangered species?' Most people, if they understand what the issues are, would modify their behavior."

Freimark takes "an optimistic view" that in the long run, people will see the light if they have the right information. "I've seen it on issues time after time."

Getting the right information out, though, often isn't easy when politicians, pundits and radio ranters see a chance to play demagogue on an issue. "There are a lot of forces arrayed against doing the right thing -- throwing up smoke on the issue so people are confused," Freimark says.

Although individual victories may be won, the spirit of NIMPism seems unlikely to go away. One rural Oregonian offers a novel idea.

"It may be interesting if they translocated some wolves to downtown Portland," says Jim Morrall of central Oregon. "That'd be a good place to start."


http://www.oregonlive.com/commentary/orego...17062236710.xml