Missoulian: Obama, Clinton Visits Bad For Plants?

News that the campaigns for Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are headed to Missoula, Mont., for back-to-back weekend appearances has local naturalists worried for the mountainside plant life.

From Missoulian reporter Besty Cohen's article:

As tempting as it may be, the folks who have been working hard to protect the natural plant life on Mount Sentinel are asking local politicos not to transform the landmark concrete “M” (above the University of Montana) into a giant “ObaMa” welcome sign this week.

For that matter, please don't spell out “Hillary Clinton” - or anything else - with the “L” (for Loyal High School) on Mount Jumbo, said Marilyn Marler, the University of Montana's natural areas specialist.

Although snow still blankets the hillsides, the ground is not frozen and plants are emerging, with some in early stages of blooming, Marler said Monday. “The ground is thawed enough - it's mud season up there and it is probably the most sensitive time right now,” she said.

“I would like to encourage people to stop treating our hillsides as billboards that are just waiting to be filled with our opinions,” she said. “I have been working hard to teach people that putting signs on Mount Sentinel (and Mount Jumbo and the North Hills) is destructive to the native prairie plants that live there.

Marler said she became concerned about the potential situation after reading several local blogs that suggested welcoming candidates to town by using the giant letters.

Marler said she doesn't want to dampen people's excitement when presidential candidate Barack Obama comes to town Saturday, and when presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visits on Sunday.

But she also doesn't want Missoula's treasured natural areas to be trampled.

“The ‘L' and the ‘M' are probably here to stay,” she said, “but let's leave the rest of the hillsides alone and respect the non-human components of our beautiful city.”

Maybe a non-human rights commission is in order.

In the meantime, click HERE for an incredible 360-degree controllable rotating view of Missoula from the "M" on Mount Sentinel overlooking the U of M campus.

I'm not sure how this technology works, but it's very cool, and the sunset scene is awesome. You won't be disappointed, unless you don't have QuickTime, which is required to view it.