Vol. 44, No. 1, Spring/Summer 2006 - "Ecotourism"

PLATTED LANDS AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT IN THE EVERGREEN STATE

(pp. 3 - 16)

Hubert B. Stroud

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, Arkansas

Robert M. Sanford

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine

Abstract

Washington State's Growth Management Act provides an effective means to guide growth but the state has had land management problems arising from pre-existing subdivision plans ("platted lands"). However, there are several steps available to deal with the potential land use conflicts arising from these undeveloped subdivisions. These steps and the lessons from Washington state are applicable to any country, state, or municipality facing a change in land subdivision law or dealing with historical matters of vested rights.

A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF SOMERSET COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

(pp. 17 - 38)

Jeremy Jurick

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Many areas of Pennsylvania have historical documentation of early settlements, but it seems that geographic techniques are rarely used to understand these locations. Therefore, this study focuses on Somerset County's six core settlements and their development until the mid-19thCentury. The creation of maps, using historical descriptions and U.S. Census data, is used to locate where these settlements started, who created them, and what time frame they originated. Also, John C. Hudson's biological theory of rural settlement growth is used as a model for the county's growth. Finally, this research will take into account the construction of roads and their factors in developing the initial settlements.

IMPACT OF PREMATURE SUBDIVISION OF LAND IN OREGON: THE CASE OF DESCHUTES COUNTY

(pp. 39 - 49)

Hubert B. Stroud

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, Arkansas

Abstract

The rush to buy rural land in Oregon began three or four decades ago within subdivisions located on range land east of the Cascades. In Deschutes County alone, over 21,000 lots (potential home sites) have been subdivided and sold to a widely dispersed clientele. A particularly significant problem exists with more than 13,000 lots located near La Pine in rural, southern Deschutes County. A major concern is the potential to degrade water quality from the use of septic tanks for sewage disposal. County officials are working to establish feasible options for resolving the problem. Initially the County decided to rely on a transfer of development credit (TDC) program designed to shift potential development to a planned neighborhood on county-owned property near La Pine. Since the TDC program failed to meet expectations, other options such as pollution credits are being considered as a means to preserve vital natural resources and to establish sustainable patterns of land use. 

REEXAMINING RUSSIA'S GEOGRAPHICAL IDENTITY: A CASE FOR HISTORICAL EURASIANISM

(pp. 50 - 63)

David McVey

The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

Abstract

Recent political and cultural changes in East Europe have prompted debate over Russia's role of straddling space between East and West, as the dismantling of the Soviet Union has shifted Russia's sociopolitical positioning in relationship to Europe and Asia. In the quest for a more thorough understanding of present-day Russian issues, along with the processes and events that have shaped that country and its current international agenda, area studies specialists, geographers and other scholars may continue to treat Russia as a separate regional entity, and not as a section, subset or appendage of either Europe or Asia. Such a position can be enhanced by viewing Russia through the lens of a moderate form of Eurasianism, a historical philosophy of Russian identity, which conceptualizes Russia as a mix of occidental and oriental political and cultural characteristics. Isolating the Russian Federation as a blend of Oriental and Occidental influences provides a bounded geographical space for current research and application.

WATER CRISIS HANDLING IN BUCHAREST CITY

(pp. 64 - 72)

Octavian Coco

Geography Department

University of Bucharest

Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

Bucharest City, capital of Romania, has recently experienced some serious water shortages, mainly as a result of an obsolete water supply system. Consequently, an investigation has been undertaken in order to assess consumption and water loss with the purpose of understanding the true dimension of the phenomenon. At the same time, the whole infrastructure has been thoroughly examined in an effort to find out the best solutions for avoiding a major water crisis that could jeopardize the welfare of the population. Some conclusions of the study are presented in this paper, together with several measures that have to be taken as soon as possible to remedy the present situation.