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  • Association of Pacific Coast Geographers Annual Meeting October 6–8, 2022 Bellingham, WashingtonAbstracts for Oral Presentations and Posters

Oral Presentation Abstracts

Cy Abbott, cya@uoregon.edu, University of Oregon. Artefacts of a Discipline at Work: Tracing the Geographer's Influence Through the "Cartographic Records of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace." At the 1919–1920 Paris Peace Conference that concluded the First World War, geographers and cartographers brought together under the leadership of the American Geographical Society (AGS) were called upon to actively contribute mapping that was employed to influence policy decisions around border delineation. Specifically, the Greco-Turkish border became uniquely differentiated from other ongoing delineations by these American academics' involvement in the peace process. The preserved archival records of these experts shed light not only on this pivotal moment in the national identities of modern Greece and Turkey, but also a similarly pivotal moment in the development of the discipline of geography in America. This historical geographic research draws attention to the early "scientificization" of cartography that occurred at this time.

Kaitlyn Alvarez Noli, k.alvareznoli@northeastern.edu, Northeastern University. Reinforcing Environmental Racism Through Discourse: Colorblind Argumentation Dynamics in Debates about Pesticide-Related Health Disparities. In this paper, we bring contemporary race scholarship on colorblind ideologies into discussions around environmental injustice in farmworker communities. Colorblind ideologies consist of a loosely organized set of stories, claims, and ideas that, while seemingly race neutral, continue to reinforce structural racism. Individuals who buy into these ideologies use language that ignores and/or justifies racial disparities. We show how the discourse of agriculture representatives (e.g., growers) and public officials (e.g., regulators) serving Ventura County, California, advance race-neutral decision-making processes that ignore, minimize, and obscure pesticide-related health disparities. In particular, we illustrate how these stakeholders use colorblind frames to present their actions as reasonable or even moral, while simultaneously producing adverse health outcomes for farmworkers and their families, the majority of whom are Latina/o immigrants and low-income. According to Bonilla-Silva, individuals justify racial inequality through four central colorblind frames: abstract liberalism, naturalization, cultural racism, and minimization of racism. We contribute to scholarship on colorblind ideology and discourse by exploring how these frames shape debates about pesticide reform. To do this, we draw on [End Page 159] qualitative observations and interviews with growers, pest control advisors, trade association staff, pesticide regulators, and Cooperative Extension agents. We found that these stakeholders legitimize pesticide-intensive agriculture, justify the uneven distribution of exposure to harmful pesticides, and undermine pesticide reform by mobilizing and building upon colorblind frames. Our findings provide a powerful example of how difficult it can be to change entrenched discourses and counteract environmental racism at the local level.

Gabriel Angulo, gabsa43@gmail.com, California State University, Dominguez Hills. Climate and Geomorphic Influences on Ponderosa Pine Regeneration, Prescott, Arizona. Global climate change is creating notable responses in the structure and dynamics of the forest ecosystem. Patterns observed include high tree mortality and changing radial growth patterns in dry southwestern United States. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is one of the dominant tree species of the southwest woodland, and research on its regeneration in response to climate change is lacking. The prior research studying the area's regeneration found that pine species are not regenerating as quickly as other species. Ponderosa pine forests form in drier, warmer environmental conditions, creating scattered stands in the region. These stands are highly susceptible to rapid regime change influenced by wildfire, climate warming, and drought. Therefore, we investigated the regeneration and establishment of Ponderosa pine in Prescott National Forest, Arizona. Study plots were established in relation to mature tree height. Regeneration in previous studies has been found at two tree lengths away from mature individuals (Davis et al. 2019). The median year of germination was 2014. We found a significant correlation between germination year and August's PDSI (wettest month for the study area). This means PDSI has influenced the germination of Ponderosa pine. Findings from this study will help forest managers and USFS to manage the changing southwestern woodland.

Jasmine Arpagian, arpagian@csus.edua, California State University, Sacramento. Squatting Historic Urban Landscapes in Bucharest: Analyzing Discourse and Assessing Neighborhood Decay. Squatting...

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