<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of today's (April 22, 2014) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">----------------------------------</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="paragraph-0" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><h1 id="blox-asset-title" style="font-size: 30px; outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 400; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 34px;"><span class="blox-headline entry-title" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); line-height: 38px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letter: Case not made on land exchange</span></h1><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><div id="blox-story-frame" class=" hnews hentry item" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 10px;"><span id="in-story-placeholder" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div></p><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style blox-social-share-horizontal fb_like_location_top service-members " style="font-size: 10px; outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 5px 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; text-align: left; cursor: default;"><div class="blox-social-item blox-twitter-share" style="outline: 0px; margin: 4px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; float: left; width: 95px; font-size: 10px;"><a class="addthis_button_tweet" tw:url="http://dnews.com/opinion/article_1d6f43cd-c4b2-5995-9a96-8b6cdc1b641d.html" tw:counturl="http://dnews.com/opinion/article_1d6f43cd-c4b2-5995-9a96-8b6cdc1b641d.html" tw:via="tweetmeme" tw:text="Letter: Case not made on land exchange" tw:related="tweetmeme,townnews" tw:count="horizontal" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(24, 68, 86);"></a></div><div class="blox-social-item blox-facebook-share blox-social-share-legacy" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 4px 0px; float: left; background-image: url(http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/dnews.com/content/tncms/live/components/core_social_share/resources/images/fb_zero_count.png); background-attachment: scroll; width: 50px; background-color: transparent; font-size: 10px; background-position: 50px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:href="http://dnews.com/opinion/article_1d6f43cd-c4b2-5995-9a96-8b6cdc1b641d.html" fb:like:send="false" fb:like:colorscheme="light" fb:like:layout="button_count" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; opacity: 1 !important; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(24, 68, 86);"></a></div><div class="clear" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: block; clear: both; border: 0px; float: none; overflow: hidden; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; font-size: 0px; background-position: 0px 0px;"></div></div><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;">Despite what I read in the newspapers about the status of the Upper Lochsa Land Exchange - what Sen. Jim Risch says, what Western Pacific Timber's Andy Hawes says - I will continue to assume all national forest parcels previously suggested for exchange are still on the table including those in Latah, Clearwater and Benewah counties as well as Idaho County.</p></span><span class="paragraph-1" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;">Whether the exchange is based on "value for value" or "acre for acre" doesn't matter. Basically, they are both bad, particularly when you factor in "conservation easements" with a value for value exchange. Conservation easements translate to "restrictions on the use of the land." WPT would not agree to "not develop" out of the goodness of their heart. They would expect and receive monetary compensation as reflected by reduced valuation of the national forest parcels.</p></span></span><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The most basic question in the exchange issue is: "Why pursue this exchange?" While I can support purchase of the Upper Lochsa parcels, the U.S. Forest Service did not make a case for an exchange - not even close - and they know it. That's why they never issued a final decision following public review of their draft environmental impact statement and supplemental environmental impact statement nor did they release the findings following public review. Their most staunch supporter - early in the process - The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, dropped its support mid-stream.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Help Sen. Risch ponder this "admittedly low priority project." Let him know what you think about it.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: start; outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 700; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Blake Ballard, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Moscow</span></p></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">----------------------------------<br><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There's room at the top they are telling you still.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- John Lennon</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div></div></div></body></html>