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Earlier this month, I joined my mom on her last—for now—“bucket list” adventure. We took the train to the Canadian Rocky Mountains for two days from Vancouver to Banff, going from an urban landscape and rainforest into high desert into boreal forest. Then we rented a car to spend some time in Lake Louise and Calgary. Stunning! And, because life works this way, I caught a virus at the end of this short-but-sweet trip.
In late May, the U.S. Supreme Court again stepped out of its role as interpreter of the Constitution and law and did what only Congress is allowed to do: Rewrite the definition of “waters of the United States” in the Clean Water Act.  If you care about clean water and understand the tremendous progress made in the last 50 years in cleaning up rivers choked with so much pollution they burned, seeing huge fish kills because of toxic pollutants, and seeing beaches closed to swimming because people were getting sick, then you should worry about how the Sackett v. EPA case reverses that progress. 
I took some time off to see my family in early March. Within a day of returning, it felt like I hadn’t left at all. Instead, I felt like someone delivered a soggy old cabbage sandwich made up of somewhat good news stuffed with clearly bad news. I’m as hungry for good news as anyone, but this dish tastes bitter.
I don’t know about you, but I need a break. It’s been a long slog through the election season with its bombardment of calls, texts, emails, and junk mail, and I really feel the loss of sunlight, too. It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to unplug long enough to really relax. I’m excited, though, because soon I get to scuba dive again in Loreto, Mexico, on the Gulf of California north of La Paz. But before I get to that, I want to reflect on a few great things that have happened here at Trustees since Election Day.
Two years ago, I left my position as a disability rights attorney to follow a vastly different pursuit —conservation. It was an exciting and daunting move that has been well worth the transition. The last few years have been packed with professional growth and new perspectives. It’s been incredibly rewarding and I’m finishing my two-year fellowship a better and more inspired advocate.
We like to believe that certain groups of people, when given the right knowledge, experience, education, guidelines, etc., can make decisions for all of us without bias or agenda. One such body is the Supreme Court, the “highest” adjudicating body in the United States and the final authority on the law. Let me tell you, we have a lot to worry about right now.
You might have heard Governor Dunleavy recently announce the “Unlock Alaska” initiative. Through it, he basically dares federal agencies to regulate any waterway running through federal lands, and encourages Alaska citizens to flout federal regulations. This is political posturing, for sure, a flawed interpretation of the State’s authority, and a bizarre attempt at a power grab certain to lead to extensive litigation.
I'm packing right now for a trip to McNeil River next week. I need a break from computer screens and nonstop news. Hanging out with bears seems like a good refuge right now. I'm grateful I can do it, and aware that not everyone can. We all have to look for the light where we can, though, and lately I've found it in the streets and in courtrooms.
When we set up a system that allows us to disengage from the damage we do and stop caring about people we don't know and those who come after us, we alienate ourselves from our connection to the planet...