Public land giveaway brewing

[clearwater150]

Have you heard about the Upper Lochsa Land Exchange? The Forest Service is proposing to trade local lands near our towns here in North Central Idaho we all hunt, camp, ride on, gather firewood from, fish in and recreate throughout for 40,000 acres of cutover industrial timberlands up near Lolo Pass. Plum Creek Timber Company skinned all the timber off the land and then in 2005 sold it to a company called Western Pacific timber (WPT). Plum Creek unloaded the land because they didn't want to pay taxes while they waited for the timber to regrow (the FS Environmental Impact Study noted it will be 30 to 100 years before timber can be harvested from these lands). From the get-go public opinion has been against the trade. The Towns of Elk River, Grangeville, Troy, and Riggins all voted to oppose the trade. The City of Moscow wrote very concerned and conveying that the majority of their constituents were opposed to the trade. Latah and Benewah County Commissions, where the bulk of the public lands were initially to come from, also wrote to the FS conveying the message that they were concerned about the impact to local economy of trading away lands so many people use so often. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation wrote a letter saying the trade was not consistent with iterests of its members or Foundation goals. The RMEF Moscow and Lewiston Chapters are opposed because the vast majority of us all hunt on our local lands. The IDFG wrote opposing the trade because their data indicates hunting opportunity is much greater on the local lands than the high elevation lands near Lolo Pass. If you look at the deer, elk turkey, bear, upland game maps that show critter density, the lands WPT has identified it wants and which are included in the proposal have much higher population densities of all game animals/birds than the lands near Lolo Pass. BUT IT GETS EVEN WORSE. The Forest Service spent 5 1/2 years studying the proposed trade and published two Draft Environmental Impact Statements to determine if the trade was in the public's interest and assessing and disclosing environmental impacts. In March of this past year year (2013), they concluded that the studies did not support going forward with the exchange. Rather than announce this conclusion to the public, the FS called in the local congressional aids for Senator Crapo, Senator Risch and Representative Labrador and privately informed them that the FS would not be going forward with the exchange administratively. This meeting has been confirmed with Senator Risch's office. Also confirmed, is that Senator Risch agreed to take the lead writing legislation. Evidently WPT has enough political clout to force an exchange that is not in the public's best interests. Two groups sprang up to oppose the exchange. One is a group that calls itself NOTONEACRE, the other is Stop the Swap (stoptheswap.net) The first group is tied to Latah and Benewah Counties and the latter to Idaho County.
In addition, a large group of retired Forest Service officials representing the highest offices of the Forest Service have gone on record with the Senators Risch and Crapo and Representative Labrador, as well as other key members of Congress opposing a "Legislative Solution" when an exhaustive, 5 1/2 year administrative study failed to show public benefit and also clearly showed that nearly 90 percent of the public and most County and City Governments that are directly affected were opposed to the deal. As one commentator put it, "Why would we trade land that so many people use so often for so many purposes and which contribute so significantly to our local economies for lands that very few of us use?" There is a lot more I could write...but this is too long as it is. If you want more info, I would certainly provide it. THE BOTTOM LINE IS.....We elk hunters here in Northern Idaho could sure use all the support we can get from sportsmen in Idaho in preserving the lands we hunt and our children and grandchildren would hunt. If you feel like helping drop Senator Risch an email telling him you oppose the Upper Lochsa Land Exchange. thanks.

 

[GSJ]

I'm in. This type of $hit makes me wanna puke. i'll be emailing and calling you can count on it.




the artist formerly known as "gemstatejake".

 

[UGAhunter]

I too contacted Sen. Risch. It won't make much difference as I am not a large business campaign donor, lol.

I did feel a little "dirty" after realizing I was on the same side of an issue as environmental nutcase freak shows like Brett Haverstick. I read a couple of articles he wrote (http://www.thewildlifenews.com/author/brett-haverstick/) and about threw up in my mouth when I read "The time to be bold is now". His opposition to the land swap almost makes me want to support it! Anyway, the Upper Loscha land swap does sound like a bad deal.

 

[clearwater150]

Thanks for weighing in w/Senator Risch. I hope every hunter and huntress in Idaho calls his office! Spread the word however you can. This would be a really bad precedent for our public lands.

I have called the Senator's Washington office, his Boise Office and local office here in Lewiston as well as written to ask what is motivating the Senator to agree to sponsor legislation in the face of such widespread public opposition. I have never gotten a reply from the DC office, or the Boise Office in writing....and I never get a straight answer from anyone I talk to. The stock answer has been "we are waiting to see what the FS comes up with and what the land appraisal says....". We know from news reports and from talking to the FS that Senators Risch and Crapo along with Rep. Labrador wrote to the FS after the FS announced they would not proceed administratively and told the FS to proceed with appraisal of the lands so that the Legislator's could facilitate a "legislative solution". When questioned by the press, Sen. Risch admitted he was championing the legislation. After public outcry up here he came out publicly in a news article saying he was NOT in charge (a 180 spin) and went on to say that Western Pacific Timber and the FS are in charge. (I think he is stalling until after elections to avoid any providing political ammo for his opponent (if there is one)).

I called the FS office to follow up on what Senator Rich's aide told me and talked to their spokeperson. She said the FS was NOT in charge and wasn't doing anything accept overseeing the appraisal of lands and that the whole process was now in the legislator's ball court. Risch's office now is saying that WPT was in charge of "getting the stakeholders together and coming up with a solution that everyone can live with." That is putting the fox in charge of designing the hen house. So far, despite Sen Risch's public announcement to involve the public and directing WPT to work with public, there have been zero meetings let alone a meaningful news release. My reading of the tea leaves is that the legislation is being drafted in some back room by WPT and cronies in the legislature. WPT's spokesman, a lawyer, has said he is hoping to have legislation ready to be introduced this spring. By the way during the last election cycle, WPT was one of Risch's major contributors as well as contributing to Governor Otter's campaign. They also footed a $180.000 bill to renovate the Albertson Mansion, AKA the Idaho Governor's mansion, (right after Otter took office during his first term). If any of you are interested in learning more...and there is more really crazy stuff....I would post more. /s/Clearwater150