Jeff Lonn, of Hamilton sent a very disturbing letter to the Missoulian entitled “Timber project threatens trail.” NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard), all over again. Apparently looking for sympathy in the Missoula community, Jeff is opposing a critically important forest health initiative, worth millions of dollars, because it’s going to disturb his idyllic bike ride for a few years. What Jeff doesn’t understand is that the ponderosa pine forest he is enjoying is not going to be there in a few years if we don’t start dealing with this Northern Rockies ecosystem that is seriously out of balance, and at risk.
I’m very familiar with that Bitterroot National Forest project area. It is in serious need of treatment to fend off insect and disease outbreaks. The private citizens living in the area are at serious risk of catastrophic wildfire. Those old growth ponderosa pine Jeff enjoys can be brought down in one year if attacked by the western pine beetle, a tiny insect smaller than a grain of rice. With a can of blue paint, I personally sent thousands of old growth pine to Oregon sawmills in the late 1970’s that had been killed by this insect (don’t worry wildlife bios, we saved many of those dead giants on site for raptors and other critters).
The BNF Westside Collaborative Vegetation Management Project is an excellent piece of work that needs to be replicated across millions of acres of both public and private land in the Northern Rockies, as soon as possible.
There are plenty of hiking and biking options in this awesome paradise we live in, but this paradise could turn ugly, very quickly.
Chris A. Linkenhoker
Corvallis