Copper Butte On Sale Again

The Colville National Forest will try again today to find buyers for the Copper Butte fire salvage sale.

Environmentalists were planning a protest this morning at Colville National Forest headquarters because they contend the sale is going too cheap and will harm soil and water.

In addition, more than half of the trees in one sale unit are alive and green, said Tim Coleman, of the Kettle Range Conservation Group.

The Forest Service attracted no bidders for the sale of 5.3 million board feet in late July when the minimum bid price was $71 per thousand board feet. So the minimum bid was reduced to $41 per thousand board feet and the sale is going back on the block.

An extremely poor lumber market is to blame for the need to change the price, Forest Service officials said. “The market is the lowest it has been in years and is falling fairly fast,” Republic Ranger Pat Egan said.

In addition, about 60 percent of the sale must be logged by helicopter, which is more expensive than on-the-ground methods.

Still, the Forest Service believes the sale is viable and that mills need the lumber, Egan said.

Forest Service officials could not be reached for comment on the contention that part of the Copper Butte sale involves so many live trees. Lightning started a 10,000-acre fire in the area last year.

, DataTimes