[Vision2020] Her View: Land swap would benefit all parties

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the Opinion section of today's (September 6, 2010)
Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

 

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Her View: Land swap would benefit all parties

By Marla Bieker, Western Pacific Timber

 

I recently visited the upper reaches of the Lochsa River and was reminded of
the beauty and function of this landscape. Miles of streams filled with
clean water and fish, thousands of acres of trees big and small, abundant
wildlife and numerous opportunities for recreation. This landscape is
currently characterized as a checkerboard ownership alternating between
private (Western Pacific Timber, LLC) and federal (U.S. Forest Service)
lands all surrounded by miles of USFS land in both Idaho and Montana. 

 

Western Pacific Timber and the forest service are working together to
complete the Upper Lochsa Land Exchange, which would put all this land into
federal ownership. In the exchange approximately 40,000 acres of private
land would be traded for scattered parcels of federal land in six different
counties of Idaho. Many of the parcels that would go into private ownership
are small, isolated and already surrounded by private lands that make it
difficult for the USFS to responsibly manage them. 

 

Some critics of this exchange have claimed that the federal government and
the American people are getting the raw end of this deal and receiving
"devastated" or "barren" land. This could not be further from the truth.
These lands have been well managed for more than 100 years.

 

Healthy, well-stocked plantations cover many of the sections. Other parcels
contain stands of well-spaced trees with multiple age classes. Yes, these
private sections look different from many of the older stands on the current
federal land, but it does not mean they are not healthy. These lands have
been managed for timber production - millions of board feet have fed local
mills and provided good paying jobs for both timber and mill workers as well
as many other supporting industries for over a century. 

 

This type of land management has created diversity across the landscape -
instead of a sea of trees all in the same age class, it is a mosaic. Many
species thrive in a diverse landscape such as this - deer, elk, bears, birds
and countless other species need the more open stands for forage while the
older, more mature stands provide cover. 

 

Checkerboard ownerships are difficult, expensive and really not the most
effective way to manage a forest. This exchange will enable the USFS to
manage the Upper Lochsa as a landscape as opposed to section by section,
allowing the forest service to be more efficient and effective in how it
manages the forest and watersheds for habitat, fire, and harvest of forest
products in the Upper Lochsa. 

 

As both a forester and a citizen who recreates on federal lands, I believe
this land exchange is in the best interest of both the land and the American
people who really own our nation's forests.

 

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for this land exchange is scheduled
to be released in October. I encourage you to read it, make comments and
ultimately support this land exchange. 

 

Marla Bieker is a certified forester with Western Pacific Timber. She has a
Bachelor of Science in forest management from the University of Washington
and has worked in the timber industry for 16 years primarily managing
private timberlands.

 

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Perhaps you fine people would be interested in truth and facts, as opposed
to twisted imagery and watching Ms. Bieker's nose grow.  Please browse:

 

http://www.moscowcares.com/Lochsa

 

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

 

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails." 

 

- Unknown 

 

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