[Vision2020] NYTimes.com: The Last Wilderness

[Ken]

On Monday 02 July 2007 15:11, Tom Hansen wrote:
> North Idaho referred to as "The Big Empty".
>
Ahem. Excuse me for interrupting our nirvana.

A few clarifications seem in order.

First, if one is to refer to the current state of this area of this state, 
it is more aptly referred to as northern Idaho. It is not "The Big Empty" 
if only because you and I are here. And the New York and worldwide invitees 
to whom Tim Egan is calling out "Come on down!" because the prize is still 
available are not here. Yet. Which allows prices for wilderness experiences 
and community residences to remain affordable for those here.
>
> I like it.
>
Yes, I like it, too. And I would like to preserve, protect, and defend it 
against unreasonable use, seizure, and control by those who would prefer to 
plunder, profit, and preside from afar. In other words, it's our home, and 
we accept responsibility for its welfare, wildlife, and wonder.

Which brings me back to the idea of North Idaho, the state. At the moment it 
is a state of mind, but it is possible, however unlikely or far-fetched, 
that it might become a state of the United States of America.

Now that you've had a moment between paragraphs to regain your composure, 
and to clean up the mess on your keyboard and screen, let us imagine the 
road sign alongside Highway 95 just north of New Meadows at the 45th North 
Latitude. The present purpose of the sign is to mark the line of latitude 
that is half-way between the North Pole and the Equator. However, if one 
thinks about standing on the side of the highway, looking eastward toward 
Montana, one can also imagine that one is looking down the border between 
North Idaho on one's left, and South Idaho, on one's right.

As long as we're fantasizing about what might be, let's think about all four 
borders of North Idaho. The easiest way to imagine the western border of 
North Idaho is to look at an atlas page that has Washington, Oregon, 
California, Nevada, and Idaho. Locate yourself at the northeast corner of 
California, where it meets Nevada and Oregon. Then draw a line straight 
north to the U.S.-Canada border. That line, at about the 120th West 
Longitude, is the western border for both South Idaho and North Idaho.

So, the southern border of North Idaho starts at the intersection of the 
Montana border with the 45th North Latitude, and proceeds westward along 
the 45th North Latitude to the 120th West Longitude. Turning right, or 
northward, travel along North Idaho's western border, the 120th West 
Longitude, to the U.S.-Canada border. Turn right again, or eastward, and 
travel along North Idaho's northern border, which is also the U.S.-Canada 
border, until the intersection of the Montana border with the U.S.-Canada 
border is reached. Turn right again and travel along the western border of 
Montana until the 45th North Latitude is met again. One has now traveled 
the circumference of North Idaho.

South Idaho is the area east of the 120th West Longitude, south of the 45th 
North Latitude, west of Montana and Wyoming, and north of Utah and Nevada.

Oh, and the area north of California, south of the U.S.-Canada border, and 
west of the 120th West Longitude? That's the state of Cascadia.

The three existing states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have here been 
replaced with the new states of North Idaho, South Idaho, and Cascadia. The 
United States still has fifty states, fifty stars in Old Glory, and the 
same number of Senators and Congress-people serving in the Washington most 
people first think of when that proper noun is used unmodified. Federally, 
not much has changed. However, the citizens of the northwestern part of the 
United States have illustrated that they can consider and implement more 
efficacious borders within which to govern themselves, if they choose to do 
so.
>
> Thoughts?
>
Yes. I think it would be very interesting to see regional economic studies 
estimating what the economies and various tax structures to implement the 
states of North Idaho, South Idaho, and Cascadia might be like.


Ken Marcy