[Vision2020] Land Trade in Northern Counties

lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
Fri Jun 4 10:20:09 PDT 2010


I agree with Harvey that the exchange is a bad idea. I would also oppose the purchase of the Upper Lochsa area by the Forest Service. If the owners want to sell it thats fine. They can cell it to some other private organization or to the State. The Federal Government already owns too much of Idaho Land. Why take it off the tax roles?
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com
Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:13:45 -0700
To: "Moscow Vision 2020" vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Land Trade in Northern Counties

> Courtesy of the Idaho County Free Press at:
> 
> http://www.idahocountyfreepress.com/IFPOpinion.shtml
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 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.
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 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
> 
> 
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