[Vision2020] Forest Service Should Pursue Purchase of Lochsa Land

[lfalen]

While I agree that there should not be a land swap, I am opposed to the Forest Service buying the Lochsa region. If any government enity were  to buy it, it should be the state.
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com
Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 06:27:55 -0700
To: "Moscow Vision 2020" vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Forest Service Should Pursue Purchase of Lochsa Land

> Courtesy of today's (May 15, 2010) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Forest Service should pursue purchase of Lochsa land
> 
> The so-called Upper Lochsa land exchange has been touted as a win-win
> proposition by the company that wants to pull it off.
> 
> It's not.
> 
> Swapping 28,000 acres of forested land in the Clearwater National Forest -
> some of which extends into Latah County - for 40,000 acres of logged-over
> land in the upper reaches of the Lochsa River region in northeast Idaho is
> a bad move, no matter how it's spun by Western Pacific Timber Co.
> officials.
> 
> That doesn't mean the U.S. Forest Service should walk away from the deal
> altogether.
> 
> We fully support a proposal by the Friends of the Palouse Ranger District,
> Friends of the Clearwater, Latah County Farm Bureau and other conservation
> groups that are encouraging the Forest Service to lead an effort to
> purchase the property with help from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
> 
> The Upper Lochsa River basin is home to some of Idaho's most precious
> wildlife, is vital to the overall health of the Clearwater, Snake and
> Columbia river systems and needs to be managed accordingly.
> 
> The Forest Service is in the best position to do that, and Western Pacific
> might be willing to part with the property considering the havoc the
> recession has wrought on the timber industry.
> 
> The Lochsa River has historical value as well. It was a sacred region for
> the Nez Perce Tribe, which routinely traveled along the Lochsa River on
> the Lolo Trail, and the Lewis and Clark expedition traipsed down it on
> their historic journey to the Pacific Ocean.
> 
> They surely appreciated the beauty, power and significance of the river,
> the forest that surrounded it and the wildlife that called it home.
> 
> So should the Forest Service. Purchasing the land is the only logical way
> to ensure it's properly managed and protected for generations to come.
> 
> --------------
> 
> Video-recording and materials from the May 4, 2010 meeting, held at the
> Sandpiper here in Moscow. In attendance were:
> 
> Gary Macfarlane (Friends of the Clearwater)
> John Carlson (Latah County Farm Bureau)
> Bob Smathers (Regional Farm Bureau)
> Shirley Ringo (Idaho Rep Dist 6)
> Bill Goesling (candidate for Latah BOCC)
> Jack Buell (Benewah BOCC)
> Bud McCall (Benewah BOCC)
> Harvey Neese
> Paul Agidius (candidate for Latah BOCC)
> Tom Trail (Idaho Rep Dist 6)
> Al Halvorsen (Friends of the Palouse)
> Cheryl Halvorsen (Friends of the Palouse)
> Kathy Judson (Friends of the Palouse)
> Marilyn Beckett (Friends of the Palouse)
> John Krebs (USFS Retiree)
> Irv Johnson (USFS Retiree)
> Dave McGraw (candidate for Latah BOCC)
> Steve Bush (Elk River property owner)
> Gary Schroeder (Idaho Senator Dist 6)
> 
> http://www.moscowcares.com/Lochsa/LochsaMtg_050410.htm
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Seeya at THE SECOND ANNUAL INTOLERISTA WINGDING with ROY ZIMMERMAN, Moscow.
> 
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
> 
> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
> and the Realist adjusts his sails."
> 
> - Unknown
> 
> 
> =======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet, 
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>                http://www.fsr.net                       
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================