[Vision2020] Land Trade in Northern Counties

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the Idaho County Free Press at:

http://www.idahocountyfreepress.com/IFPOpinion.shtml

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Land trade in northern counties unless we stop it
Opinion - Neese

Four northern Idaho counties could lose most, if not all, of the U.S.
Forest Service managed, people-owned lands to private interests if we the
people don't stop it. The main counties are Latah, Clearwater, Benewah and
Idaho. The Forest Service lands being discussed for trading amount to some
28,000 acres. These are prime forests and wildlife habitat which
previously was habitat for the largest elk herd in the world. The elk are
disappearing due to mismanagement and now the possible loss of much of
their habitat that has nurtured elk and deer populations for centuries.

At this time, there is a proposed exchange or trade of the Forest Service
lands in the four counties in northern Idaho for heavily cut-over timber
lands in a remote section of the Upper Lochsa area owned by a private
entrepreneur. The private lands in the Upper Lochsa, proposed to be traded
for the lands in the four counties, are situated like a checker board with
alternate sections between the Forest Service and private
entrepreneur-owned lands which makes management of these lands difficult.
Many people who are aware of this ill-advised proposed exchange, support
the Forest Service in purchasing the 39,000 acres in the Lochsa to manage
the lands for the future. A number of groups of people are working to this
end. Few, if any, residents inside these counties and outside are
promoting this exchange.

The Forest Service has advanced the exchange proposal to this point with
minimal attention paid to the majority of the people affected. There are
more than 100,000 nearby residents in northern Idaho and eastern
Washington who use these public lands for recreation such as hunting,
fishing, observing wildlife, mushroom and huckleberry picking and logging.
And there are many more that come to the area because of the people-owned
lands.

There is a sizable group of people within the exchange area who are
fighting this exchange proposal nonstop. They have met with local and
state officials and federal legislators to obtain their support to
purchase the Lochsa lands and not trade away the prime forest lands of
this area.

It should be mentioned that the current Forest Service Supervisor for the
Nez Perce and Clearwater forests, Rick Brazell, was not in this position
when this very bad decision was initiated by the Forest Service to pursue
this exchange with little input from the people. However, the problem is
now in the hands of the current supervisor and numerous people and groups
affected by this proposed exchange have expressed their opposition to him
and the Forest Service personally. We the people are speaking and
government officials should listen to the majority in our democratic
society-it is easy to see that a huge majority of people directly affected
by this loss of public lands strongly oppose this ill-advised trade.

The people are waiting anxiously for federal legislators to speak publicly
words we hear so seldom these days: "I will support what the majority of
Idahoans want" -- and the public choice is purchase.

This is the American way developed by the Founding Fathers. Federal
legislative aides have listened and discussed this issue with we the
people in opposition many times. State legislators from this area have
been especially helpful in support, discussions, attending meetings and
assisting to formulate plans to go forward. We, the people, thank them.

Harvey Neese is a resident of Clarkston but has lived in Latah County for
approximately 50 years.

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Footnote:  After having video-taped the Upper Lochsa Land Exchange
meeting, conducted at the 1912 Center last Tuesday, I am currently
converting, and will soon be posting videos of the entire meeting soon.

Seeya on Sunday, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Riggins, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown