HAWAII: SIgning Off

Before I delve into the many attributes of Hawaii, I must not like to forget the region's commonalities with The Dalles (Oregon State). I found two: volcanism and agriculture.

Mount Hood, dormant and peaceful

VOLCANISM

Kilauea - in full blown effect!

Mount Hood, located very close to The Dalles, is a stratovolcano which eruptional history is evidence of the Pleistocene epoch. It is inactive, dormant since the late Pleistocene, unlike Hawaii's various volcanoes which are all active.




High Mountain Peaks
In the PNW, Mount Rainier is at 14,000+ ft in elevation. Also a stratovolcano. Mauna Kea, at 13,000+ ft in elevation is an active volcano. By feet, it comes close by just about a thousand feet. Another difference is one is an active volcano, while another is completely dormant.

Hawaii's agriculture has varied in strength in the past few years (since WW2). Its traditional crop, pineapple, has declined in income since. Once providing 16.5% of the state's income, it dwindled to 2% by 1985. Sugar was from 20% to 4%. If it wasn't for such a decline, I'd say that Hawaii and The Dalles could still make a good fruit salad.

Land Ownership
Half of Hawaii is government-owned, much like various parts of the West and PNW (Alaska specifically). 80% is controlled by the federal government. The small amount of private landowners are then at stake. They must lease the land, and once lease is up, they must renew it at a higher rate. Urban development is in high demand, and it becomes a vicious cycle of raising cost of living. I believe this would be something the people of PNW ultimately fear: overcrowding and high demand to develop urban setting. It is the ultimate worst-case scenario for the PNW-ers who are living in peace.