A Western Report & Alaska Election Analysis
Here's the latest dispatch.
Good evening,
For you newbies out there, welcome to Outsider on the Inside. I hope this dispatch from in and around the nation’s capital on underreported topics finds you well.
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Apologies for missing last week. I was out West (more on that shortly) and am catching up in today’s dispatch. Here’s what I have for you today.
Go West, Young (Wo)man
I recently spent time out West filming two “Conservation Nation” videos in Montana and Idaho.
“Conservation Nation” is the video series I host with the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, a free market environmental group I’ve partnered/worked with for several years now.
I won’t reveal the episodes just yet but I want to (briefly) share where I visited.
Our travels began in Bozeman, Montana - a prime destination for vacationers and Yellowstone fans. We drove north to Helena, the state capital, to get some b-roll. (Another state capital checked off - woohoo!)
We drove further north to our hub Kalispell (which I profiled on Substack in June), our home base for a few days. The drive was beautiful and absent of fires.
The next day, we drove to Libby, Montana, in the Kootenai National Forest for our first interview. Let’s just say I got to see my fair share of osprey, bald eagles, and trout that didn’t take my bait on the fly.
After filming there came time to film our next interview in the Flathead Valley. Specifically, Whitefish. My videographer and I ate lunch at Piggyback BBQ before shooting. I recommend the fried okra and 1-Meat Platter. (I chose the sausage link.) The offerings were exceedingly generous. I couldn’t finish the meal, so took leftovers with me.
After lunch and parking at Interview #2 of the day, Madison, my videographer, proceeds to exclaim, “Bear!”—to which I initially laughed off, until I saw the yearling black bear (pictured above) for myself. I dashed to our car rental as a safety precaution. Then I later see that the bear is preoccupied with eating fallen apples, so I got out safely and snapped video/pictures from a distance.
Whew.
Here’s a clip for your viewing pleasure.
After wrapping up our shoot in Montana, we made the trek from Kalispell down to Twin Falls, Idaho—a roughly nine (scenic) hour trek. We made a few stops along the way - including Stanley and Ketchum. These were flanked by the Sawtooth Range, and Snake and Salmon Rivers. Beautiful views. I can’t complain!
“Magic Valley” was a great backdrop to film our second video. I hadn’t been to the Gem State since 2004 but felt our 3-4 days were nourishing for the soul. There’s a lot of hidden gems, no pun intended, in Southern Idaho: Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Shoshone Falls State Park, and Snake River Canyon, to name a few. And we got to experience these places.
Best dining options? Elevation 486, of course. The sunset views speak for themselves. And the menu was divine. We also enjoyed Twin Beans Coffee Company for breakfast. My to-go menu items were the Vanilla Cream Cold Brew and Wakey Wakey Bowl (which I paired with bacon once). On our last day, we tried Full Steam Espresso at 2nd South Market, a food hall, and met the lovely couple behind the operation. There, I got the Strawberry frappuccino-like drink and everything bagel with jalapeño cream cheese. I don’t think I’ve had a bagel like that before. It was pure perfection!
The drive back up to Montana last weekend included a stop at the Three Tetons historical marker. The view was hazy, but I could easily make out the Idaho stretch of the Grand Teton range.
I’ll have an overview on my YouTube Channel in the coming days, but wanted to share some sights and sounds from our 2,100+ mile journey.
I have a break from film trips until spring 2023. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes and send me pitches for topics I should consider for “Conservation Nation!”
EP10 | Conservation Nation - Public Lands: Arizona (Part I)
VIDEO: Catching Trophy Fish in Coastal Virginia
Analysis: AK Special Election & RCV
Were you perplexed by Wednesday’s election win for Democrats in red Alaska and wonder if ranked choice voting is to blame? Do you want to understand RCV and if it’s a viability voting form for both major parties? Today’s YouTube broadcast with my fellow Young Voices Regional Leader Sarah Montalbano is a must-watch.
Sarah discusses:
What Ranked Choice Voting is
How and when Alaska adopted it
RCV’s effects on Wednesday’s #AKAL special election results
If Republicans benefit from RCV too
And if this voting method should be taken national
Read Sarah’s takes at Wall Street Journal and Spectator World to learn more and formulate your own opinion about RCV.
ICYMI
Articles/ commentary/media appearances from the past week.
MEDIA APPEARANCES:
From July: Armstrong Williams Show on WJLA/ABC 7 (Young Voices)
08.29.2022: Policy Chat | Where Have All The Women Gone? (IWF)
ARTICLES/BLOGS
09.01.2022: Elected Officials Can Be Bulwarks Against ESG (IWF/Daily Caller)
09.02.2022: Radical Environmentalists Eager to Abolish Pittman-Robertson Act (Townhall)
Podcasts You May Have Missed
Catch up on District of Conservation episodes below.
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—Gabriella