Idaho Version: Wilks Brothers Show more of their True Colors

[JoseCuervo]

I think there may have been mentioned in a thread the recent Wilks purchase of the old Boise Cascade land (and then Potlatch Land) that has long been used for hunting, snowmobiling, atv-ing, and rafting in Valley and Adams Counties, near Cascade and West Mountain.

First they kicked the loggers out, and now they have kicked the hunters out. IDFG had to mail letters out to controlled hunt tag holders offering to allow them to trade their tag for a general tag, based on the severe impact to hunting the Wilks are causing.



http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/letters-from-the-west/article104921951.html


(Yep, I know, it is their private land, and they can do whatever they damn well want, afterall, they are Texans, by God, and that is reason enough to screw non-Texans.)

 

[Big Fin]

I wish I could be surprised by the events following their taking ownership. Expect more to follow, with plenty of other associated problems. They view it as their land, which it is, but if their Montana track record is any indicator, their employees have a tendency to treat some of the adjacent public land as being part of their empire also.

And people wonder why public land advocates are digging in for the big battles. The same folks accepting campaign donations from these guys are the same ones trying to steal the public lands from Americans under many stupid facades and many sterile sounding front groups.

It's come down to this --- These public lands are you lands. Stand and fight or stand to lose!

And if you lose, the Wilk's actions serve as a crystal ball of the future for public land hunters.

 

[Straight Arrow]

It seems that if their vision becomes reality, then access will be more valuable than oil. That is, access to all the places we will have formerly hunted and recreated.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Boise Cascade, the former owner, was a local company, owned the sawmills in Cascade (and McCall??), Horseshoe Bend, Emmett, etc... They WERE the community. They took care of the land, the employees, the little league teams, and the 4-h Auctions.

This land all became "quasi-public" from years of Boise Cascade owning it. We got spoiled.


Part of Idaho's politics that is fun, is how cheap it is to buy State Legislators and County Commissioners. I would guess you could buy a County Commissioner in Valley County for less than a $1000. State legislators go for a similar price.

The Wilks will have no problem finding public officials who will stay mum, and/or negotiate on the Wilk's best interest for less $$$$ than it costs them to fly up to see their lands on their jets.

Put their money in with the Koch Brothers, who are already funding, allegedly, the groups behind Idaho land transfers, and you can see which way Idaho is headed.

 

[idnative1948]

Jose, is spot on. And yes, I got spoiled.

 

[Big Fin]

Boise Cascade, the former owner, was a local company, owned the sawmills in Cascade (and McCall??), Horseshoe Bend, Emmett, etc... They WERE the community. They took care of the land, the employees, the little league teams, and the 4-h Auctions.

This land all became "quasi-public" from years of Boise Cascade owning it. We got spoiled.


Part of Idaho's politics that is fun, is how cheap it is to buy State Legislators and County Commissioners. I would guess you could buy a County Commissioner in Valley County for less than a $1000. State legislators go for a similar price.

The Wilks will have no problem finding public officials who will stay mum, and/or negotiate on the Wilk's best interest for less $$$$ than it costs them to fly up to see their lands on their jets.

Put their money in with the Koch Brothers, who are already funding, allegedly, the groups behind Idaho land transfers, and you can see which way Idaho is headed.

So sad, because it is completely true.

Anyone doubting that fact, look at the Montana website that lists political contributions. You will see that many MT legislators bellied up to the Wilkes' bar and drank the maximum under MT law. Then look at how these legislators voted on topics the carpetbagger crowd was supporting.

But as an infamous former Copper Baron, William Clark, proclaimed when revealed he had MT state legislators on the take, "I've never bought a politician who wasn't for sale."

Many MT legislators should be wearing "SOLD!" signs. Coming to an Idaho legislative district near you.

 

[TheTone]

They had already bought a big chunk in Unit 13 which already had access issues due to private ownership. Those private pieces were previously pretty good about allowing access, now its a no. http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/id...ng-billionaires-land-grab/Content?oid=3691658 The quote in the article from outgoing county commissioner Jim Chemlik speaks volumes. He is probably one of the most vocal anti public land politicians in the state. He basically blamed his loss in this years primaries on public land voters.

One of the sadder things about this current issue in southern Idaho is the fact it was former timber company lands. Lots of those lands were simply given, bought at super low prices, acquired through trades, former railroad sections, etc.

 

[onpoint]

"access will be more valuable than oil" - Straight Arrow
Nailed it.

Hopefully the wake up will arrive before the nightmare becomes reality.

 

[MTGomer]

I hope the spotted owl crazies are content with themselves.

 

[James Riley]

Things must have changed. When I was there, the majority of the good citizens of Idaho overwhelmingly elected these people, and they supported the likes of Wilks, et al and those who would otherwise buy the politicians if it weren't for all the voters supporting them. Unless the population has changed, I'd say they brought this on themselves. I could be wrong.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Things must have changed. When I was there, the majority of the good citizens of Idaho overwhelmingly elected these people, and they supported the likes of Wilks, et al and those who would otherwise buy the politicians if it weren't for all the voters supporting them. Unless the population has changed, I'd say they brought this on themselves. I could be wrong.

The evidence would seem to agree. These guys put big money into Ted Cruz's campaign, and I believe Ted Cruz won the Republican primary fairly handily in Idaho, didn't he? The reality is this is part of the agenda Idahoans voted for. Hopefully the lesson is learned sooner rather than later and if so many people are really this upset over this particular instance of lost access, I hope they educate themselves before November. The Wilks and their buddies are the guys who can't wait to see public lands go on the auction block, and they are throwing big money into elections hoping to dupe all of us into electing the folks who will make it happen.

 

[James Riley]

The reality is this is part of the agenda Idahoans voted for. Hopefully the lesson is learned sooner rather than later and if so many people are really this upset over this particular instance of lost access, I hope they educate themselves before November.

Don't count on it. The education they get from their politicians and the money that owns them is that the spotted owl crazies are behind it.

 

[noharleyyet]

Things must have changed. When I was there, the majority of the good citizens of Idaho overwhelmingly elected these people, and they supported the likes of Wilks, et al and those who would otherwise buy the politicians if it weren't for all the voters supporting them. Unless the population has changed, I'd say they brought this on themselves. I could be wrong.

...provincial wisdom is what it is.

 

[James Riley]

...provincial wisdom is what it is.

I'll stipulate to the provincial.

Scattered in among them I would find a rare gem of a man or woman with the cowboy logic, but they were generally quiet, full of laughter with bright eyes, they had experienced some great suffering and they'd spent some time away in the world (war, etc.) before coming home. Folks didn't listen to them much. Then again, their input was usually oblique and over the head of many. That was where I found the provincial wisdom. They're all dead now.