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State backs compromise plan for forest management
By PERRY BACKUS of the Missoulian
Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Secretary of State Brad Johnson want the U.S. Forest Service to consider a proposal for future management of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest drafted by a unique partnership of conservation groups and timber companies.
Schweitzer, a Democrat, and Johnson, a Republican, sent separate letters that called the partnership's collaborative efforts both “remarkable” and “historic.”
Three mainstream conservation groups and five timber companies announced last April they had negotiated a proposal to balance logging, forest restoration and wilderness designation on the 3.3 million-acre forest in southwest Montana.
The proposal called for setting aside more acres for wilderness and timber use than proposed in the draft forest plan.
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is in the final stages of a four-year effort to update its land-use forest plan. The public comment period ended in October.
County government officials, off-road vehicle enthusiasts and some environmental groups left out of the loop have been critical of the partnership's proposal.
Schweitzer's letter last week to Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Supervisor Bruce Ramsey said the partnership's “careful balancing of wilderness designations, a suitable timber base and outdoor recreation deserves careful consideration.”
Schweitzer said he understood the agency needed to evaluate other views as well.
“The debate over forest management and wilderness designation has spanned decades, and I need not describe to you how divisive resource issues in Montana can be,” Schweitzer's letter read. “In light of this history, the fact that timber companies and conservation organizations could come together and produce a strategy for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is truly remarkable.”
Johnson's letter to Regional Forester Gail Kimbell called the partnership's effort “historic.”
“Resource issues in Montana have been divisive for too many years,” Johnson said. “The contentious debate over appropriate forest management and wilderness designation has done little, if anything, to move the state forward.”
The compromise plan was developed by the Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Sun Mountain Lumber of Deer Lodge, RY Lumber of Townsend, Pyramid Mountain Lumber of Seeley Lake, and Roseburg Forest Products and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., both of Missoula.
The compromise plan would designate about 713,000 acres of forest as potentially available for logging. The Forest Service draft plan sets aside 215,000 acres.
The plan requires stewardship contracting for most timber sales. The practice allows money raised by logging to be retained for use on the forest to pay for things like weed control, trail maintenance, prescribed burning and improved fish habitat.
It would also designate 573,000 acres as recommended wilderness, compared with about 250,000 acres in the draft forest plan.
The letters from Schweitzer and Johnson come as the Forest Service decides whether to consider the partnership plan in its review of alternatives for a forest management plan.
Tim Baker, executive director of the Wilderness Association, called the letters a “welcome recognition” of the unique nature of the group's proposal and its potential to resolve issues that have divided the conservation and natural resource communities in Montana.
“The fact that our approach has drawn the strong praise of top officials from both political parties underscores the importance of this effort as an attempt to move beyond the polarizing debates of the past,” Baker said. “We believe that if the Forest Service decides to give our effort a public airing, they will find strong community support from a broad cross section of the public.”
Still, Beaverhead County Commissioner Mike McGinley hasn't received much positive feedback from his neighbors.
“We had a roomful of people here the other day and they were all dead set against it,” McGinley said. “They are talking about our forest. We want to know why we weren't involved.”
Four years ago, the county hired someone to work closely with the Forest Service to ensure residents' views were represented in the plan update.
“Now these groups pop in after the comment period is completed and expect us to sign on with open arms,” McGinley said. “The problem is the devil's in the details and some of the details in their plan don't work for us.”
County residents have concerns over issues like motorized recreation, grazing and timber harvest.
“They say the agreement will open up lands for timber harvest,” he said. “But what's to stop one person from a radical environmental group to file a lawsuit and tie it all up in court.
“We don't have to look any further than Basin Creek to see that happen. The Wilderness Association, industry and local government all supported it and they aren't cutting a log up there because of a lawsuit.”
If the agency decides to accept the plan, it needs to either reopen the comment period or scrap the process and start over, he said.
By PERRY BACKUS of the Missoulian
Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Secretary of State Brad Johnson want the U.S. Forest Service to consider a proposal for future management of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest drafted by a unique partnership of conservation groups and timber companies.
Schweitzer, a Democrat, and Johnson, a Republican, sent separate letters that called the partnership's collaborative efforts both “remarkable” and “historic.”
Three mainstream conservation groups and five timber companies announced last April they had negotiated a proposal to balance logging, forest restoration and wilderness designation on the 3.3 million-acre forest in southwest Montana.
The proposal called for setting aside more acres for wilderness and timber use than proposed in the draft forest plan.
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is in the final stages of a four-year effort to update its land-use forest plan. The public comment period ended in October.
County government officials, off-road vehicle enthusiasts and some environmental groups left out of the loop have been critical of the partnership's proposal.
Schweitzer's letter last week to Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Supervisor Bruce Ramsey said the partnership's “careful balancing of wilderness designations, a suitable timber base and outdoor recreation deserves careful consideration.”
Schweitzer said he understood the agency needed to evaluate other views as well.
“The debate over forest management and wilderness designation has spanned decades, and I need not describe to you how divisive resource issues in Montana can be,” Schweitzer's letter read. “In light of this history, the fact that timber companies and conservation organizations could come together and produce a strategy for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is truly remarkable.”
Johnson's letter to Regional Forester Gail Kimbell called the partnership's effort “historic.”
“Resource issues in Montana have been divisive for too many years,” Johnson said. “The contentious debate over appropriate forest management and wilderness designation has done little, if anything, to move the state forward.”
The compromise plan was developed by the Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Sun Mountain Lumber of Deer Lodge, RY Lumber of Townsend, Pyramid Mountain Lumber of Seeley Lake, and Roseburg Forest Products and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., both of Missoula.
The compromise plan would designate about 713,000 acres of forest as potentially available for logging. The Forest Service draft plan sets aside 215,000 acres.
The plan requires stewardship contracting for most timber sales. The practice allows money raised by logging to be retained for use on the forest to pay for things like weed control, trail maintenance, prescribed burning and improved fish habitat.
It would also designate 573,000 acres as recommended wilderness, compared with about 250,000 acres in the draft forest plan.
The letters from Schweitzer and Johnson come as the Forest Service decides whether to consider the partnership plan in its review of alternatives for a forest management plan.
Tim Baker, executive director of the Wilderness Association, called the letters a “welcome recognition” of the unique nature of the group's proposal and its potential to resolve issues that have divided the conservation and natural resource communities in Montana.
“The fact that our approach has drawn the strong praise of top officials from both political parties underscores the importance of this effort as an attempt to move beyond the polarizing debates of the past,” Baker said. “We believe that if the Forest Service decides to give our effort a public airing, they will find strong community support from a broad cross section of the public.”
Still, Beaverhead County Commissioner Mike McGinley hasn't received much positive feedback from his neighbors.
“We had a roomful of people here the other day and they were all dead set against it,” McGinley said. “They are talking about our forest. We want to know why we weren't involved.”
Four years ago, the county hired someone to work closely with the Forest Service to ensure residents' views were represented in the plan update.
“Now these groups pop in after the comment period is completed and expect us to sign on with open arms,” McGinley said. “The problem is the devil's in the details and some of the details in their plan don't work for us.”
County residents have concerns over issues like motorized recreation, grazing and timber harvest.
“They say the agreement will open up lands for timber harvest,” he said. “But what's to stop one person from a radical environmental group to file a lawsuit and tie it all up in court.
“We don't have to look any further than Basin Creek to see that happen. The Wilderness Association, industry and local government all supported it and they aren't cutting a log up there because of a lawsuit.”
If the agency decides to accept the plan, it needs to either reopen the comment period or scrap the process and start over, he said.
