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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Verdana>This is a horrible proposal, made even worse
after the first plan was rejected. Blixseth is but a conniving flimflamer
and environment rape artist.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Verdana></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Verdana></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Verdana>W.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bevbafus@verizon.net
href="mailto:bevbafus@verizon.net">bevbafus@verizon.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=thansen@moscow.com
href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 17, 2010 2:28
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Locals Oppose
Forest Service Land Trade</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Visionaries -</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This proposed land trade includes many of the lands around Elk Creek
Falls.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bev<BR><BR><BR>Jun 17, 2010 02:16:41 PM, <A
href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</A> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(102,153,204) 3px solid">>Courtesy of
the St. Maries
Gazette.<BR>><BR>>-------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>><BR>>Locals
oppose FS land trade<BR>>By Dan Hammes<BR>><BR>>Critics charge
taxpayers will be cheated.<BR>><BR>>Supporters say the proposed land
exchange is not only fair, it would help<BR>>the Forest Service better
manage its lands.<BR>><BR>>The one thing that seems certain is no
opinions were changed at Monday’s<BR>>meeting to discuss the proposed
land trade between the Forest Service and<BR>>Western Pacific
Timber.<BR>><BR>>The county commissioners listened as Forest Service
representatives<BR>>explained the proposed trade that includes 3,737
acres in Benewah County.<BR>>Several local residents attended to voice
their opposition.<BR>><BR>>Under the trade, first proposed in 2006,
the Forest Service would give up<BR>>28,000 acres in return for 40,000
acres of land in the Upper Lochsa River<BR>>basin near Lolo Pass. The
trade would eliminate 'checkerboard ownership'<BR>>of land in the Lochsa
and enable the Forest Service to better manage
the<BR>>land.<BR>><BR>>Ron Erickson of the Forest Service said if
the trade is approved the<BR>>federal agency would work with various
groups, including the Nez Perce<BR>>Tribe, Trout Unlimited, the Nature
Conservancy, the Rocky Mountain Elk<BR>>Foundation and the Bonneville
Power Administration to develop a<BR>>land-management
plan.<BR>><BR>>He did not estimate on what it would cost to implement
the yet-unwritten<BR>>plan.<BR>><BR>>“So when did the Forest
Service get into the park business?” Commissioner<BR>>Jack Buell asked.
“You’re talking about becoming park rangers.”<BR>><BR>>He said the
trade will impact local government. Idaho schools are<BR>>suffering for
lack of funding and counties do not have enough money to<BR>>fund
services, he said. When the Forest Service takes land out
of<BR>>production it adversely impacts the local economy and tax base, he
added.<BR>><BR>>Mr. Erickson said the Forest Service has different
priorities.<BR>><BR>>“Timber is important but at the same time we have
the other resources out<BR>>there including wildlife and fish,” he
said.<BR>><BR>>Mr. Buell said the St. Joe River, which offers a great
fishery amidst a<BR>>thriving timber business, is proof you can have
both.<BR>><BR>>John Krebs said the Forest Service proposes to trade
land with good public<BR>>access and managed for multiple use for land
that would be managed for<BR>>wildlife.<BR>><BR>>“You don’t intend
to manage that land for public use. You’re screwing the<BR>>public,” he
said.<BR>><BR>>Mr. Erickson said while some roads in the Lochsa would
be removed if the<BR>>Forest Service took ownership, there would be
plenty of roads available<BR>>for public access.<BR>><BR>>Mr. Krebs
also criticized the method the federal government uses to<BR>>appraise
land. He said taxpayers were giving up land whose value far<BR>>exceeds
what they would get in return.<BR>><BR>>Mr. Erickson defended the
appraisal method used by the government.<BR>><BR>>Al Halverson, who
lives near Tensed, was not convinced.<BR>><BR>>“You’re taking two 1953
DeSotos for a 2010 Cadillac and telling us it’s a<BR>>good trade,” he
said.<BR>><BR>>Kathy Judson of Tensed questioned why the Forest
Service had to pay to<BR>>rehabilitate logged land. She said that should
be paid by the companies<BR>>that made profit from the harvested
timber.<BR>><BR>>She added that local residents who use the land the
Forest Service would<BR>>trade away to harvest game and collect firewood
would suffer if the trade<BR>>is consummated.<BR>><BR>>“Nobody
wants this exchange.”<BR>><BR>>Del Rust questioned how the Forest
Service could pay to manage the land it<BR>>would take in
trade.<BR>><BR>>“How can a bankrupt government pay for
restoration?”<BR>><BR>>The Forest Service will release the
Environmental Impact Statement to the<BR>>public in August and accept
public comment on the proposal for 45 days.<BR>>For more information
contact the Forest Service at
245-2531.<BR>><BR>>-------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>><BR>>Seeya
round town, Moscow.<BR>><BR>>Tom Hansen<BR>>Moscow,
Idaho<BR>><BR>>"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist
expects it to change<BR>>and the Realist adjusts his
sails."<BR>><BR>>-
Unknown<BR>><BR>><BR>>=======================================================<BR>>
List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>> serving the
communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>> http://www.fsr.net <BR>>
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