[Vision2020] Bypass Risch, Crapo

[Moscow Cares]

Let's keep Idaho public lands clean, green, and public . . . and avoid the necessity of starting each reference to Idaho with the words "Remember when . . . "

Courtesy of today's (April 13, 2015) Lewiston Tribune with special thanks to Marilyn Beckett.

--------------------------------------
Bypass Risch, Crapo
Two months ago, dozens of letters were received by Idaho Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo and Rep. Raul Labrador in regard to the Lochsa exchange.
With a handshake, I handed Crapo my letter in person, sending a follow-up letter a few days later. While some letter writers have received at least a formulaic response from Crapo, I haven't. My letters, while respectful, are pointed and contain questions requiring specific answers like:
Why does the delegation think it important to acquire Western Pacific Timber's cut-over parcels?
Who takes part in meetings where the ULX is discussed?
Who are the "stakeholders" favoring a land exchange?
What areas of our national forest are being appraised?
Five years ago, many people wrote to Risch and Co. worried about the Forest Service's proposal to exchange valuable public land for WPT's checkerboard-like sections in the upper Lochsa. At that time, we were told to trust the National Environmental Policy Act process.
Years later, just before the final administrative decision, the entire delegation intervened by halting the NEPA procedure. However, they did so to negotiate the exchange, not stop it.
Why suddenly disregard the process to which they previously deferred? Merely three months after this bold move, they put WPT in the driver's seat with the Forest Service in the back of the hearse.
The public's land law is being blackballed. Prime example is the Lochsa Exchange.
Contact Sen. Mary Landrieu, chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Marilyn Beckett
Moscow
--------------------------------------

For additional background information, go to . . .

"Upper Lochsa Land Exchange"
http://www.lochsalandexchange.com

Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Lewiston, Idaho
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20150413/0c63af7c/attachment.html>