<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div></div><div>Courtesy of today's (January 6, 2012) Moscow-Pullman Daily New.</div><div><br></div><div>------------------------------</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); line-height: 24px; "><h1 style="font-size: 24px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: inherit; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 34px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal bold 24px/27px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Experts disagree on land exchange proposal</h1><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><strong style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; ">By Kathy Hedberg, Lewiston Tribune staff writer | Posted: Friday, January 6, 2012 12:00 am</strong></p><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">GRANGEVILLE - Depending on the perspective, the Idaho County Commissioners' proposed alternative to the Lochsa land exchange is either the best way to preserve the county's economy or "an abomination."</p><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Two experts in economics and business finance debated the commissioners' proposal Wednesday night before the task force charged to make a recommendation on which alternative to the land swap the county should support.</p><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Steven Peterson, a research economist at the University of Idaho, has devised a scenario showing that transferring about 39,000 privately owned timberland acres to the U.S. Forest Service would be a loss of jobs and revenue to the county and is not in the best interest of the citizens of Idaho County.</p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Clarence Chapman, a landowner near White Bird with a background in business and labor relations, called the commissioners' proposal "an abomination" and urged citizens to push for continued federal support of the county's timber acres.</p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">The task force plans to have a recommendation for the commissioners by Jan. 16, Chairman Roy Lee said. Clearwater-Nez Perce National Forest Supervisor Rick Brazell earlier announced he would make a final decision on the controversial land swap by Jan. 17. But Teresa Trulock, who is the U.S. Forest Service representative for the issue, said Wednesday that deadline will be pushed back to mid-February.</p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Peterson noted the decline of the timber industry over the past 20 years, but said there are indications the housing market will begin to improve in the next two to five years and when that happens there will be more demand for timber products.</p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">"Make sure that you're kept whole in terms of the forest products industry," Peterson said, indicating Idaho County should seek ways to maintain its resource-based economy. He said the federal budget is undergoing severe cutbacks, and the county cannot continue to rely on subsidy payments for non-taxable public land.</p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 16px; color: black; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font: normal normal normal 17px/24px 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Chapman, however, predicted Congress will pass some legislation to continue funding timber-based counties at about 90 percent of the current levels.</p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="font-size: 17px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-color: initial; float: none !important; marg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br></div><div>- Unknown</div></div></body></html>