A Good Read
August 2007

Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington's Last Frontier, by Craig Romano. Photography by James Johnston.
Reviewed by Steve Rumsey

At last, a book that features the natural wonders of Northeastern Washington! As anyone knows who as tried to purchase a coffee table book featuring gorgeous photographs of Washington State, they're easy to find. A number of big, lavish books feature the state, and all of them include any number of spectacular photos of sailboats in bays and jagged snowy peaks and charming downtowns filled with historic buildings overrun by happy people. But thumb through the lot, and you quickly find that they all treat the topic about the same way, presenting the state as though it starts at the Pacific Ocean and ends at the Cascade Range. Eastern Washington, they seem to say, where's that? Sure, most include a token shot of the Palouse, usually taken from the top of Steptoe Butte, or showing Steptoe on the horizon, but if the eastern half of the state exists at all in these books, that's about the only detail book editors consider worth including. For the most part, Northeastern Washington might just as well be a black hole. In the world of coffee table books, anyway, our region truly is The Forgotten Corner.

Until now. Conservation Northwest has teamed up with The Mountaineers Books to publish a gorgeous (and affordable) book that features our area. Written by outdoor photographer and writer Craig Romano (an occasional contributor to The Monthly's outdoor publications) and richly illustrated with the photographs of James Johnston, Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington's Last Frontier fills the gap in the literature on Washington State very nicely, thank you, and belongs on the bookshelves of anyone interested in the region. And if you ever need a gift for special visitors to remind them of their stay here, you've found it.

The photographs alone make the book worthwhile. They run the spectrum from scenic shots that give us big views of mountains, sunsets and river valleys, to gorgeous close-ups of flora and fauna, to portraits of the people who call this place home. The book delivers the eye-candy in abundance. The Columbia Highlands is a unique and wonderful place offering a wide range of forest types, and this book acknowledges that with a variety of shots that show the place to best advantage. These photos remind us of what we love about the region, and will make those who don't live here long for a visit.

The accompanying text presents a good overview of the human and geographic history of the area in short bursts that aren't burdened with technical or scientific language. There is a small section that addresses the state of wilderness in the region, gently promoting the idea that portions of the Kettle Range be re-designated as wilderness. Following that comes praise for the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, the group of timber workers, conservationists, and interested citizens that is forging agreements about forest management that balance timber extraction with preservation of the area's abundant natural resources.

Conservation Northwest is a member of that group. In a section entitled "Voices of Columbia Highlands," the book includes profiles of fifteen of the area's residents, which emphasize the relationship of people to their environment. Rounding out the presentation is a section of trail guides with maps that highlight some of the best places to get out and explore the wonders that the book has covered.

Conservation Northwest, which is, after all, an environmental organization, has produced a book that gently reminds us through pictures and text that the region is a unique and wonderful place with natural resources well worth preserving, but they've done that without the one-sided rants that often dominate discussions of the environment versus the timber industry. The subtext is that we can both harvest timber and preserve healthy forest ecosystems, a message that Forest Capital is not likely to hear, but one which will likely appeal to the rest of us.

Nicely done, people!

Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington's Last Frontier, by Craig Romano. Photography by James Johnston. Conservation Northwest with The Mountaineers Books, 2007. 128 pages. Softbound. $17.95.

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The North Columbia Monthly provides news, views, humor and a calendar of events for an area that stretches from Nelson in British Columbia south to Spokane in Washington State and covers all points in between. A free (and free-thinking, progressive) magazine, The Monthly is available at several hundred spots throughout the region and now is also available on-line at www.ncmonthly.com. Published once a month since 1994, The Monthly is an independent magazine that often challenges contemporary wisdom by encouraging critical thinking about issues and attitudes in the region and beyond.

Featuring our one-of-a-kind "What's Happening" department, The Monthly provides the region's only all-inclusive, free listing of community events and is the first place many people check to find out about area arts, crafts, music, fairs, services and events of all kinds. Our free listing policy for the "What's Happening" department promotes diversity, cultural interaction, and the exchange of ideas and free expression. Also featured in the magazine are people, food, health, humor, and feature articles that keep readers coming back for more each month.

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