[Vision2020] Choose - Timber Baron or Public Servants

Tom Hansen thansen at moscow.com
Wed Apr 13 06:04:35 PDT 2011


Courtesy of today's (April 13, 2011) Lewiston Tribune with thanks to Marty
Trillhaase.

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Choose - timber baron or public servants
By Marty Trillhaase of the Tribune

On one side of the proposed Lochsa land swap is a millionaire who hasn't
paid his taxes.

On the other are a dozen former U.S Forest Service employees who among
them have more than 300 years public service.

That's only one aspect of the Forest Service plan to obtain 40,000 acres
of land - now owned by Western Pacific Timber - near the headwaters of the
Lochsa River in exchange for something between 6,200 acres and 14,200
acres of federal land in northern Idaho, much of it on the Palouse Ranger
District.

There's never been much debate that obtaining public ownership of those
sensitive lands may be in the public interest.

But is it worth converting public lands on the Palouse into private hands?

How you answer that might hinge on who the new owners are. One of them
would be former billionaire Timothy Blixseth, who made a name for himself
as the timber baron who built the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana,
which is now in bankruptcy.

Last week, three states tried to throw Blixseth into bankruptcy court
against his will to collect taxes he has yet to pay. They claim Blixseth
has socked the money away in Nevada.

Idaho says Blixseth owes $1.1 million. California is after almost $1
million. Montana wants $57 million.

If the petition succeeds, Blixseth would be forced to sell off assets to
pay his taxes.

Blixseth says he'll pay $1.3 million to Idaho and California, but
Montana's claim is bogus and politically motivated.

Presumably, if the Upper Lochsa land deal goes through, Blixseth would
help decide how to manage acres of Palouse forests now opened to the
public and managed in the public interest.

That's on one side of the equation.

On the other side of the debate are people who made a career working in
the public interest, none of whom - as far as we know - is a millionaire
timber baron who owes millions in back taxes.

They include the following:

- Retired Palouse Ranger District Fire Management Officer John Krebs, who
had 36 years of federal service.

- Retired forester Lonnie Way, who spent 35 years on the job, including at
the Palouse District.

- Blake Ballard, who retired after 38 years and worked as a timber
management assistant and a land exchange coordinator for the Palouse
District.

- Irv Johnson, who retired after 24 years. He served as a database
coordinator at the Palouse District.

- Retired Palouse District Ranger Dick Hodge, who has 38 of federal service.

- Retired Palouse District Ranger Larry Ross, who spent 35 years with the
district.

- Retired Palouse District wildlife biologist Harry Jageman, who had a
33-year career with the agency.

- Al Espinosa, who retired as a fisheries biologist at the Palouse
District after 20 years of federal service.

- Scott Phillips, who retired after 25 years with the Forest Service
outdoor recreation management program. He lives in Hailey.

- Dick Artley, who retired after 31 years with Nez Perce National Forest.

- John Holt, who retired after 27 years with the Forest Service, where he
served as Region VI director of engineering.

- Jeff Jones, who retired after 17 years with the Forest Service, where he
served as a geologist and mineral examiner for the Sawtooth National
Forest.

It's only one aspect of a complicated affair. But if the question boils
down to figuring out what is in the public interest, who has your ear?-

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For more information . . .

"The Lochsa Land Exchange"
http://www.LochsaLandExchange.com

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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

 - Unknown




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