I think that I shall never see…
July is forestry month. Karl Vick, in the 5 July Washington Post reports on how the Bush administration is celebrating:
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Bush administration is preparing to ease the way for the nation’s largest private landowner to convert hundreds of thousands of acres of mountain forestland to residential subdivisions.
The deal was struck behind closed doors between Mark E. Rey, the former timber lobbyist who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, and Plum Creek Timber Co., a former logging company turned real estate investment trust that is building homes. Plum Creek owns more than 8 million acres nationwide, including 1.2 million acres in the mountains of western Montana, where local officials were stunned and outraged at the deal.
…
Environmentalists, to their surprise, found that timber and mining were easier on the countryside.
“Now that Plum Creek is getting out of the timber business, we’re kind of missing the loggers,” said Ray Rasker, executive director of Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit that studies land management in the West. “A clear-cut will grow back, but a subdivision of trophy homes, that’s going to be that way forever.
“It’s kind of the ugly face of the new economy.”
Meanwhile, down here in “backwards” Mexico, the billion tree campaign has somewhat slowed down, but …
In Tijuana, combining urban beautification and air quality improvements, the state Governor planted a tree in front of “the tacky border fence” as Maggie’s Madness puts it (and thanks for the photo, Maggie!)
President Calderon on 5 July was quoted as saying “Planting a tree makes you part of history” at the start of festivities at Ejido San Nicolas Obispo, Michaocan, where locals attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in a single day… .part of the La Cruzada Nacional de Reforestación.
Since 2006, the Cruzada has planted 85 new forests. The goal for this year is 64 more.
The Mex Files 
Development is good, it provides more homes to buy in that area. It also helps reduce the price of homes in the area. Think of all of the new immigrants who left Mexico for the US who will now be able to find more affordable housing in the area. This is a good thing.
With all of California’s unmaintained forests that eventually get burned every year in natural forest fires, why on earth is man needed for reproduction of an asexual species? Good job for Mexico to plant trees in front of the fence, this way the government of Mexico can avoid the shame of knowing that their own citizens are leaving their country for better oppertunities.
You would think that the wall would be a signal that they are screwing up. Why is it ok for Mexico to be weary of people from other Central and South American countries who try to immigrate illegally to Mexico? For some reason people always tend to forget that Mexico’s laws on immigration are alot worse than the United State’s. When Mexico opens their border and legalizes drugs and guns, maybe the US will be forced to do the same with the first two. Until then, it seems kind of silly to make the Mexican government look good, when the people are risking life and limb to escape to the US.