Cascadia (bioregion)
The concept of Cascadian bioregionalism is closely identified with the environmental movement. In the early 1970s, the contemporary vision of bioregionalism began to be formed through collaboration between natural scientists, social and environmental activists, artists and writers, community leaders, and back-to-the-landers who worked directly with natural resources. A bioregion is defined in terms of the unique overall pattern of natural characteristics that are found in a specific place. The main features are generally obvious throughout a continuous geographic terrain and include a particular climate, local aspects of seasons, landforms, watersheds, soils, and native plants and animals. People are also counted as an integral aspect of a locale's life, as can be seen in the ecologically adaptive cultures of early inhabitants, and in the activities of present-day reinhabitants who attempt to harmonize in a sustainable way with the place where they live.[1]
The Cascadia bioregion contains 75 distinct ecoregions, and extends for more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the
The Cascadia Bioregion encompasses all of the state of Washington, all but the southeastern corner of
The area from
History of Cascadian bioregionalism
The term "Cascades" was first used for the
The name "Cascadia" was first applied to the whole geologic region by Bates McKee in his 1972 geology textbook Cascadia; the geologic evolution of the Pacific Northwest. Later the name was adopted by David McCloskey, a Seattle University sociology professor, to describe it as a bioregion. McCloskey describes Cascadia as "a land of falling waters." He notes the blending of the natural integrity and the sociocultural unity that gives Cascadia its definition.[6]
McCloskey is the source of the proposed Cascadian boundaries that include the complete watershed of the Columbia River, including the territories of what is now Idaho, western Montana, and smaller parts of Wyoming, Utah, and northern Nevada.
According to McCloskey, this "initial" Cascadia included parts of seven jurisdictions (Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Western Montana, British Columbia, and Southeast Alaska), running from the northernmost reaches of Southeast Alaska in the north to Cape Mendocino, California in the south–and covering all the land and "falling waters" from the continental divide at the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. McCloskey, founder of the Cascadia Institute and co‐chair of Seattle University's New Ecological Studies Program, saw Cascadian identity as something which transcends political or geographic definitions; it is more a cultural, ideological identity.[6]
In politics
Cascadian bioregionalism also forms the basis for several independence movements throughout the Pacific Northwest, which base their boundaries on the bioregion of Cascadia.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Bioregionalism". cascadianow.org. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ "Ecoregions & Watersheds". Department of Bioregion. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "Cascadia - America 2050". america2050.org. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ISBN 9780875952369. OCLC 25874046.
- ^ "Towns - Abberdeen through Crowfoot". linncountyroots.com. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest". Washington.edu. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
External links
- Dreams of a Unified Northwest Are Halted At the Border New York Times article by William Yardley, February 27, 2010.
- Cascadiabioregion.org, website with extensive Cascadia related facts and figures, in popular culture, and explanations of the watershed and bioregion.
- The Cascadia Institute.org, the website belonging to Dr. David McCloskey, professor emeritus at Seattle University, and creator of both the first map of Cascadia (1988), and the newest map of Cascadia (2015), to be featured in volume 30 of the ESRI Map Book [1].
- Free Cascadia.org, the website belonging to Alexander Baretich, designer of the Cascadian flag, and advocate of Bioregionalism.
- Cascadia Bioregional Party