By Ed Sperry, Stevensville
The Ravalli County Commissioners deserve a lot of credit for commissioning the report by the Bureau of Business and Economic research at the University of Montana examining the history of the timber industry in the Bitterroot Valley. Facts are always the best source of good policy decisions. However, facts are often obscured by political considerations. Management of our forests has suffered from policies adopted decades ago which seem to this layman to be intent on managing people more than forests.
This from a recent newspaper article:
“Commissioner Doug Schallenberger said that he didn’t think it was all about the economy. He said it was also about the waste of good resources by letting it burn. ‘It’s about fires and things burning up,’ he said.” (Bitterroot Star, November 7, 2018)
I think Commissioner Schallenberger is absolutely right. The economic history was bad enough; but as one would expect, the rather bitter history will be explained away by the very environmental extremists that helped create the economic loss. It is noteworthy that as usual they dodge any iota of accountability. I suggest that the reported economic losses were, if anything, presented in a conservative manner. It would seem reasonable to add the costs of fighting the fires of 2000 and Roaring Lion, to name but a few.
Commissioners, hold your heads up high and stick to your guns in forthcoming forest management planning sessions! You just got an overwhelming endorsement by the voters.
Larry Campbell says
Fact check for those who use or appreciate facts: The last time a Bitterroot NF timber sale was appealed or litigated by any environmental group was over a decade ago. During that time it’s been an open field for all of the Ravalli County timber sales, with not a single tree saved from proposed cutting. How extreme is that? Or is it extreme to spread unfounded blame and hate simply because of personal ideology? The last timber mill here was taken into bankruptcy by its owner while there was a full log yard and timber sales waiting to be logged. That was caused by a timber industry owner who only cared about his own job pushing paper and fleecing the workers. The lies spread by the likes of Mr. Sperry are irresponsible and simply serve to spew personal grumpiness and hate, not smart ideas that contribute to a reasoned public debate.