by Jeff Lonn, Hamilton
In Chuck Stranahan’s May 18th column on the Bitterroot Front project, he quotes the Forest Service as saying: “The majority of comments received come from large organizations located outside the Bitterroot Valley [that] start litigation against the project. When the lawsuit comes before a judge, the comments received during the Scoping Period are tallied and the proposal fails because most of those responses recommend denial of the project. That’s why nothing ever gets done to clean up the Bitterroot Front!” Did this quote really come from the USFS? The Forest Service knows full well that none of this is true. There has only been one lawsuit against a project on the Bitterroot front in the last 12+ years. It was on the Westside project, was filed by an adjacent resident, and was settled out of court without delaying the project. So which projects failed? Most comments on projects, including the negative ones, have come from western Montana residents and organizations. Even if they hadn’t, aren’t all Americans equal owners of our National Forests? Besides, the Forest Service is always telling us that comments do not constitute a vote, but it appears they were urging Chuck to get out the vote. If the Forest Service made these statements, then they are spreading misinformation. If this is not a Forest Service quote, then maybe Chuck’s column would have been more appropriate for the opinion section.
Jer Ishman says
Mr. Lonn knows full well that there have been numerous lawsuits filed against the Bitterroot National Forest in the past 12 years, he chooses to look just at the Bitterroot Front area in citing his statistic. Besides, this problem is more than 12 years old. This problem is decades in the making from decades of litigation across the country that making doing any management on the National Forest extremely difficult.
And, while public comment on projects is not a “vote” the lack of demonstrated support (in the form of official comment letters) from the public in general has made it seem like there is not any support for being proactive in management of the National Forest. The only people that the Forest Service usually hears from are the ones that don’t want them to do anything. They need to hear from the silent majority who just want them to do their jobs and manage the land. When a comment is submitted it becomes part of the project record, which is what a judge sees. I believe that is what Mr. Stranahan was getting it. Judges mostly only see all the comments from the people that oppose the projects (no matter what it is). Maybe if judges saw that most people supported the project the outcomes would be different??
I find it interesting to see the righteous indignation about a misquote of the Forest service by someone in favor of being proactive, as opposed to complete silence when Friends of the Bitterroot and others put out a press release filled with lies and misrepresentation of what the Forest Service is intending to do with the Bitterroot Front project. If you want to know the truth about what the Forest Service is planning to do I would suggest that you contact them and ask them.
craig johnson says
could you supply the link to the “agenda” or provide evidence of its existence?
Helen Sabin says
The forest service has an agenda and a bad one. Ever drive through Colorado and see the MILES of dead trees? These are beetle killed and these trees need to be removed and new ones planted. If a fire ever struck there, it would burn for a year at least. But the main gripe I have against THE USFS was their response during the Waldo Canyon Fires in Colorado Springs. They put an inept female who was criticized and rated low by her supervisor into Colorado as a head forester. She claimed she was discriminated against as she is black and a female so to get rid of her and shut her up they stuck her into the position just in time for the fires that took many homes.. She was incompetent and now is still in the USFS but hidden away – she should have been fired. To show you the contrast, the man who rated her was the first one to get women into the law enforcement end of the USFS. At his memorial service, one woman who was the beneficiary of his forward thinking thanked him for pushing women into leadership positions and into the law enforcement end. Two women – one with sour grapes and one with gratitude. I know to whom I listened. The forest service needs a good leader and there hasn’t been one in years. The Bitterroot must be thinned out, cleaned out or the Bitterroot valley is going to be like Colorado Springs where the fire spread from the mountainous area clear into the housing areas many miles below. DEMAND that they get behind this project to clean up the Bitterroot.