I am reading Thomas Friedman's book titled "The World is Flat" - A Brief History
of the
Twenty-first Century. He makes an economic case for the power of "Global
Collaboration"
that is taking place and how individuals and small groups from many different
communities, states and countries are already participating. My belief is that
the
Interactive Watersheds web sites, can help "jump start" Watershed NGOs and
individuals
to aggressively participate in a successful collaborative process to achieve
their watershed
restoration objectives now, and over time in the future.

I have also read two books by Jared Diamond. "Guns, Germs and Steel" (an
examination
of how and why Western Civilizations developed the technologies and immunities
that
allowed them to dominate much of the rest of the world) and "Collapse" (what
caused
some of the great civilizations of h past to collapse into ruin, and what can we
learn from
their fates?)

In these books and others that have been influential in my life there are themes
that reflect
the work I believe we are all involved in. These themes include local, regional
and global
natural resources, politics, and the economy. Up to the time the Internet and
the World
Wide Web began to be used by a large population of people worldwide, global
natural
resources, politics and economy were controlled by large organizations,
political parties of
all types, and big international corporations. This is still true today, but
the authors
mentioned above seem to believe that the world is changing quickly. Now,
because of the
Internet, more individuals and smaller groups in countries around the world are
becoming
involved and are becoming influential in the natural resources, politics and
economical
factors that affect their, and their children's, future.

The Interactive Watersheds project, started in the year 2000, involved the
National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, the National Association of Resource and Conservation
and
Development Council, the U.S. Forest Service, and many other Federal, State, and
local
partners and businesses, including Mountain Visions. Together we have helped
produce
an unique interactive and educational opportunity on the Internet to help
develop a better
public understanding of the watershed resources, and how the restoration and
protection
of these resources can benefit the economy and the politics, not only in special
watershed
areas in America, but also local citizens, and other countries and citizens
around the
world.

Katy and I (Mountain Visions) have a genuine interest in continuing to be
involved in this
important process. We are hopeful that the Interactive Watersheds projects will
all
continue to expand in their mission of public outreach, information and
involvement.

Gary Grimm

A discussion group moderator