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Environmental, timber interests address City Club about Beaverhead forest
By JOHN CRAMER of the Missoulian
A coalition of timber companies and conservation groups is urging Montana's congressional delegation to introduce legislation that would make the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest a model for managing federal lands nationwide.
The coalition has drafted a bill that calls for increased logging on Montana's largest national forest, but also setting aside large swaths of new wilderness and better protecting streams, wildlife and forest health.
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Partnership on Friday discussed its vision for the future management of the 3.3-million-acre forest at a City Club Missoula forum.
The plan calls for setting aside 570,000 acres for wilderness and designating 713,000 acres as suitable timber base. Both figures are significantly higher than what's proposed in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge draft land use plan.
Tom France of the National Wildlife Federation said he was optimistic that Montana's congressional delegation would introduce the legislation next year. The bill is called the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Conservation, Restoration and Stewardship Act.
“This plan can be used as a template for resolving disputes about timber cutting and the environment across the West,” France said.
In a phone interview Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said the plan made good sense.
“This proposal is a result of folks from across the spectrum sitting down together and hammering out a common vision for Montana's forests,” he said. “It's a smart and fair compromise among loggers, conservationists, sportsmen and timber mills.”
The coalition's three conservation groups and five logging companies got together last year after deciding to set aside their longstanding differences.
“Ten years ago, some of these folks couldn't be in the same room together,” Tester said. “Now they're sitting around the same table working together to do what's best for our forests.”
U.S. Sen. Max Baucus and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg couldn't be reached for comment, but a Rehberg spokesman said the congressman has met with coalition officials and is following the issue closely.
Opponents of the proposal include motorized recreation groups, some conservation groups and Beaverhead and Deerlodge counties, who say the plan would take control of the forest out of local hands.
The coalition's members are the National Wildlife Federation, the Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Trout Unlimited, Sun Mountain Lumber, Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Roseburg Lumber Products, RY Lumber and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
Environmental, timber interests address City Club about Beaverhead forest
By JOHN CRAMER of the Missoulian
A coalition of timber companies and conservation groups is urging Montana's congressional delegation to introduce legislation that would make the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest a model for managing federal lands nationwide.
The coalition has drafted a bill that calls for increased logging on Montana's largest national forest, but also setting aside large swaths of new wilderness and better protecting streams, wildlife and forest health.
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Partnership on Friday discussed its vision for the future management of the 3.3-million-acre forest at a City Club Missoula forum.
The plan calls for setting aside 570,000 acres for wilderness and designating 713,000 acres as suitable timber base. Both figures are significantly higher than what's proposed in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge draft land use plan.
Tom France of the National Wildlife Federation said he was optimistic that Montana's congressional delegation would introduce the legislation next year. The bill is called the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Conservation, Restoration and Stewardship Act.
“This plan can be used as a template for resolving disputes about timber cutting and the environment across the West,” France said.
In a phone interview Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said the plan made good sense.
“This proposal is a result of folks from across the spectrum sitting down together and hammering out a common vision for Montana's forests,” he said. “It's a smart and fair compromise among loggers, conservationists, sportsmen and timber mills.”
The coalition's three conservation groups and five logging companies got together last year after deciding to set aside their longstanding differences.
“Ten years ago, some of these folks couldn't be in the same room together,” Tester said. “Now they're sitting around the same table working together to do what's best for our forests.”
U.S. Sen. Max Baucus and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg couldn't be reached for comment, but a Rehberg spokesman said the congressman has met with coalition officials and is following the issue closely.
Opponents of the proposal include motorized recreation groups, some conservation groups and Beaverhead and Deerlodge counties, who say the plan would take control of the forest out of local hands.
The coalition's members are the National Wildlife Federation, the Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Trout Unlimited, Sun Mountain Lumber, Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Roseburg Lumber Products, RY Lumber and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
