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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Courtesy
of the Opinion section of today’s (September 6, 2010) Moscow-Pullman
Daily News.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>---------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Her
View: Land swap would benefit all parties<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>By
Marla Bieker, Western Pacific Timber<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>---------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://www.moscowcares.com/Lochsa">http://www.moscowcares.com/Lochsa</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Tom
Hansen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Moscow,
Idaho<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"The
Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change and the
Realist adjusts his sails." <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-
Unknown <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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