[Vision2020] King Solomon's Cedars?

[Area Man]

I only reprint this because I'm pretty sure Mark doesn't want to develop
his property next to a state park, and I find the insinuation kinda
humorous.

As to the age of the trees, who gives a rip?
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Impure motives?

I'm reluctant to believe that there are 1,000-year-old western red
cedars on Moscow Mountain. 

Tree rings indicate how old a tree is. If there were a tree on Moscow
Mountain that was 1,000 years old, then it should have at least 1,000
tree rings. Now if there were a 1,000 rings, then how big of a diameter
at breast height would such a tree be? 

Well, considering the drought summers and the cold winters, I would be
conservative and say each ring would be about a 16th-inch thick. 

If that were so, then simple math says that the tree would be 62.5
inches(or about 5.2 feet) in diameter. On the more liberal side,
according to the National Park Service at Mount Rainer National Park, a
1,000-year-old wed cedar is about 9.55 feet in diameter. So the average
would be about 7.4 feet in diameter for a 1,000-year-old western red
cedar. 

In other words, if I felled a Moscow Mountain western red cedar to the
ground and stood next to the stump end of the log, it would be over a
foot taller than me. Really? 

Before Latah County commissioners go after getting King Solomon's cedars
turned to gold, I suggest they take a look at what other resources are
already in or near their county that are under state park control. ... 

Since most of Moscow Mountain is private property, do you suppose maybe
someone sees dollar signs in developing land next to a state park? 

Ged W. Randall, Lewiston 
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Someone else might see dollar signs, but from what I know of "King
Solomon" (that name might stick!), I'm pretty sure he likes his quiet.

Dan C