[Vision2020] Latah County Forests

[roger hayes]

Hello,
Traveling north the other day I found I was appalled at the 
deforestation of our small mountains. All along McCrosky park, clear 
cuts denude the land up to the borders of the park. On the east side of 
Plummer creek valley huge swaths of bare ground look like a war zone. A 
war against forests...
Yesterday, we went out to Little Boulder by Helmer. All the mountains 
surrounding the Potlatch valley are newly logged. Not a stick standing. 
Brown, erodible land showing for miles.  Log truck (yes, I know jobs, 
and I understand that) roared by every few minutes. I looked carefully 
at a few loads and the logs looked green and healthy. I saw no borer 
sap marks.
Up by Laird park, if one looks 360 degrees around the valley the 
mountains are cut clean of timer in huge swaths.
Finally, every day on my way home from work, I see that Moscow 
mountain, and along the shoulder toward the East and West Twins are 
becoming gradually cleared of any timber. New logging road are clearly 
visible as they wind their way up the mountain.  From the Chipman 
Trail, and the Pullman highway, Moscow mountain presents a lovely view 
as it stands above our city. Sunsets are particularly beautiful.  The 
slashes up the mountain side detract from that picture, and show that 
maybe we don't care much about our environment.
What happened to selective logging? I see many small landholders 
continue this practice, and the results doesn't look half bad.
I know that much of the land mentioned above, particularly Moscow 
mountain, is private land, and I guess people can do what they want 
with that land. What about Federal and State land? Why do those lands 
have to be clear cut? What about erosion? What about our water 
resources? Don't the mountains surrounding our area supply at least 
shallow aquifer water? What about our creeks and rivers? Don't they 
supply water and critical habitat?
Will there be any trees left in Latah county it this keeps up? Kind of 
sad...

Roger Hayes
Moscow