"In 1995, a Portlander named Alexander Baretich was in Eastern Europe studying nationalism when he conceived a flag for Cascadia, an area encompassing the Pacific Northwest and sometimes beyond, depending on who you ask. He designed it with three horizontal stripes of blue, white, and green for the colors of nature, expressing the conviction among Oregonians that Cascadia is perfect in its natural state. Then he overlaid these stripes with a Doug fir to symbolize resilience against 'catastrophic change,' reaffirming the region’s long-standing fear of contamination and dislike of interlopers. It’s no surprise that the Pacific Northwest produced a man like Baretich who’s proud of his birthplace and enraged over threats to the land. In September, while I was visiting my family in Oregon, a fifteen year old from Vancouver recklessly threw fireworks into the Eagle Creek Canyon along the Columbia River Gorge. Forty-eight thousand acres of Cascadia burned in a fire that now has its own Wikipedia page. ..."
The Baffler
W - Cascadia (bioregion)
W - Cascadia (independence movement)
Award-Winning Cascadia Map - David McCloskey
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