“Green, Green, they say, on the far side of the hill” is a repetitive verse in one beloved old folk song. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear it now, during the long recovery period predicted for the land traumatized from the Lee and Elk fires. The sight of the newest green patches could lull us all a bit, as Mother Nature has a way of unleashing her fury until that power is spent. The losses of many landowners are too great to recover quickly. While the sight of the green patches gives those of us who lost nothing a degree of hope, the sight of something green may also lighten the emotional burden carried by the entire community.
The heavy weight borne by those depending on making their living on the land is incomparable. The land, stock, as well as the structures and equipment needed to make any profit make it difficult to picture those farm and ranch residents being able to resume any semblance of normalcy. This may require accepting a way of living on the land that could become the “new normal.”
The burn scars are already unable to withstand the recent intense rainstorms and wind, resulting in mudslides after the Lee and Elk fires. Both fires ferociously consumed hay fields and both summer and winter grazing pastures. Those farmers and ranchers, as well as county residents, will be making some difficult decisions for their families. Continuing to live on the land that has meant so much to their families over the years will require so much time and effort. The ranch and farmlands are scorched beyond recognition, yet are already greening up because of the recent rainstorms. The eroding banks of the White River are causing it to rise and branch off into small creeks and streams.
The songs of the past will continue to recognize the importance of the color green representing hope for the future. The new, healthy plants highlight the importance of the sights and smells of the earliest growing season of plants. The love for green fields and lawns never ends if one is raised in the Midwest or the coastal East. After enduring long, hard winters for many years, all of us long for spring and the sight of those first green shoots to appear. The experts consulted on a timetable of recovery and restoration gave numbers. The one to five years that many of them predicted for a full restoration might not have been good news to the residents who had been barely holding on to the family land. Everyone tries to think positively, but those who hope for the shorter time could be thinking it will still allow them to make the changes needed to resume the ranching life. Some folks seemed more positive than others and had a plan of action already in place. Others have talked about following a new plan of action that might take a bit longer. No matter how long the recovery and restoration process takes, it is well worth the wait.
By DOLLY VISCARDI
