[Vision2020] HR 3855

[Don Coombs]

Tom Hansen wrote:
  I am all in favor of keeping public lands public.
> 
> Once these forest lands are auctioned off to private interests, a mortal
> person's imagination will not even be able to conceive the size of the next
> WalMart Super Center in Idaho.
> 
> I strongly support Idaho BLM acquiring these lands.  The lands will remain
> environmentally managed and Idaho realizes revenue in the process.

I assume you mean IDL (Idaho Department of Lands) 
rather than Idaho BLM. (The Bureau of Land Management 
is, of course, a federal agency.)

Under IDL, the lands will not exactly be 
environmentally managed. The state consitution requires 
IDL to manage with only timber revenue in mind, and 
yes, that revenue does go to schools. But there is a 
huge difference between managing for multi-use 
(including recreation) and just cutting everything 
cuttable.

Some of the most egregious land management in the past 
century is a result of IDL decisions.

Don Coombs