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Oppose timberland swap

You have the opportunity to stop the privatization of desirable national forest land. Western Pacific Timber Inc. (owned by the infamous billionaire Tim Blixeth) purchased denuded, entirely clear-cut private industrial timberland bordering the Clearwater National forest. The company then announced its intention to trade for 17,854 acres (28 square miles) of pristine national forest land scattered in the Clearwater, Nez Perce and Idaho Panhandle national forests.

The U.S. Forest Service completed a draft environmental impact analyzing the exchange in 2010. About 92 percent of the people who commented on the DEIS opposed the trade. Then, the Clearwater forest supervisor went to Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo asking him to explore introducing a bill (probably a rider) to legislate the exchange.

The Upper Lochsa Land Exchange is the national model to privatize desirable national forest land. It must be stopped.

A Senate fact-finding hearing is planned in Grangeville Idaho, at 6 p.m. today in the Grangeville Elementary school gym. You know this is a big deal, otherwise the two senators, Gov. Butch Otter, Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell and Regional Forester Leanne Marten wouldn’t be there.

Sens. Crapo and Risch will accept the oral testimony of 30 people. They are also accepting written testimony. Please tell them how you feel by sending a letter to their offices. Details are available online by searching “Lochsa not one acre.”

Dick Artley

Grangeville, Idaho



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