Last Chance Creek
Deep in the Wallowas, in the good old days,
.. the last Audubon's bighorns held out a long time
Competitive grazing with domestic sheep
.. guaranteed the loss of the old natives . . .
….. poaching, disease and low thrift from lack of food
We thought grizzlies, indians and wolves were problems
Swamp Creek
Cowboys named this place, frustrated with driving cows.
Beavers used to reign here with marsh and pond,
.. sedges and willow carrs, teaching steelhead to jump,
… and otters and mink amused crawdads and mussels.
Nee-me-poo left huge shell middens, cached couse
.. and flaked keen basalt tools while waiting for game.
Trading beaver for guns and pots guaranteed their demise.
.. marshes and ponds disappeared, stream down-cut,
… steelhead grew rare, everything that survived was grazed
….. by multiple classes of livestock for fire control.
It takes a long time and a glacial shift of attitude to repair
.. what was wrought with inattention, greed and short sight.
Where else on this landscape have we applied as much,
.. and forgotten . . . the grass belly deep to a tall horse,
… open pine woodlands sprinkled with dryland willow,
….. filled with walking grouse, game and abundant roots?
An ecological eye seems to see in depth of time
even as i can hear... keening in the wind through the trees.
--R.Anderson Wallowa
