CA: Forest Service trades land with logging company

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 2/27/04 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service and California's largest private landowner have agreed to a land swap they say will benefit both of them and the public.

The Forest Service will give Anderson-based Sierra Pacific Industries 1,843 acres of the Eldorado National Forest, broken into 14 parcels, in exchange for 16 parcels totaling 3,394 acres, under an agreement posted this week.

The lands were appraised at equal market value, the Forest Service said.

The exchange will reduce the need for Sierra Pacific to build new roads to its parcels within what are supposed to be roadless areas, helping the company manage its property more efficiently and meet federal and state laws, the Forest Service said.

The lands added to the national forest are of higher recreational and scenic value, and will help the Forest Service better manage wildlife habitat, officials said. The Forest Service will get more meadow and wetland and spotted owl habitat as part of the agreement.

The Forest Service acquisitions include parcels along the south fork of the American River along the Pony Express Trail, along the Silver Fork of the American River, near Gerle Reservoir in the Crystal Basin, near Bassi Falls, near Hell Hole Reservoir, along the Rubicon River, and near Dark Canyon and Pilliken south of the Mormon Emigrant Trail.

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On the Net:

Eldorado National Forest: http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/eldorado/

[NormsRevenge]

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[hedgetrimmer]

I guess its better than having Clinton declare your land condemned to be a national monument.

When they say equal value, do they mean equal value in timber?

[Carry_Okie]

When they say equal value, do they mean equal value in timber?

If I know Red Emerson, I'd bet he made out like a bandit.

[PAR35]

When they say equal value, do they mean equal value in timber?

It sounds like a combination of lumber value and cost of extraction. They would have to build new roads to get to what they are giving up, and they are trading swamps and treeless area for woodlands.

The Forest Service will get more meadow and wetland

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[tertiary01]

The Logging Co and the National Forest Service have been doing these land trades for a long time. From what I have observed, they often trade on an acre for acre basis, and they will often trade for the logged land back in a few years, when it is no longer of use to the logging company. Not to be negative, as sometimes this is the only way to get past the enviros. (According to conversations with some of the loggers).

In some of the National Forests, the logging co.s do most of the road maintenance, and fire patrol, especially if they are logging in those areas and I believe this also is reciprocated by the trade of unlogged National Forest parcels.

[E.G.C.]

BTT!!!!!!

[forester]

Wait till he swaps 1.6 million acres of California lands for 2 million acres of the Tongass NF and pulls out of California altogether. The socialist get their range of light national park, Red gets to operate under capitalism, and the displaced workers....oh yeah, they'll get re-educated I mean, retrained.

[forester]

.... they often trade on an acre for acre basis,

Hedgetrimmer is correct, it is value for value. Timber accessed by existing roads has more value then timber with no access. From the article:

The Forest Service will give Anderson-based Sierra Pacific Industries 1,843 acres of the Eldorado National Forest, broken into 14 parcels, in exchange for 16 parcels totaling 3,394 acres, under an agreement posted this week.

In this case, the government will get almost twice as much land as it is giving up. The question to ask is, why are these trades only being done by large companies and the Nature Conservancy? Why can't small landowners intiate swaps like this?

[SierraWasp]

I know Red Emerson! Red Emerson is NOT a friend of mine! Carry_Okie, you're no Red Emerson!!! (thank goodness)

Forester is right. Red wants the roads!!!

Red Rover, Red Rover... Let Emerson come over!!!

[SierraWasp]

Thanks for finding and posting this. Yes, It's our back yard, so to speak.

[Carry_Okie]

Red Emerson isn't leaving California.

He's becoming a developer. Look at his announced intention with Cecil Wetzel's old place.

Maybe that's the reason he wants the roads.

[tertiary01]

I believe they occasionally will trade small landowners, for parcels, especially if the parcel contains a coveted habitat for study, preservation or whatever. But they usually will try to condemn it instead. In my area much of the private land originated as patents, and the gov. still acts like they believe they have ultimate ownership. My experience has only been from talking with land owners and people who work in the National Forest, not personal experience or research.

[Issaquahking]

As I think back over the last year and how the greenies and their lawsuits created, destroyed the forests of all the Northwest(If your house or property burned, or burned and is awash in ashen muck - thank a greenie) - I can see going for the easy legal maneuver.

It also allows me to bring back a great song parodie to the tune of Tommy Petty's Free Fallin -

Tree Fallin' (Tom Petty and the Freepers)

She's a green girl, loves her marshes
Loves Gaia and Commie's too
She's a green girl, crazy 'bout Bono
Loves The Sierra club and the U.N.too

It's a long day living in Idiocy
Tried to give the girl an ounce of decency
And I'm an American Hero cos I don't even miss her
I'm an American Hero for tryin to make her smart

And I'm tree, tree fallin'
Yeah I'm tree, tree fallin'

All the Loggers cuttin their way' through the valley
Move west down Timber Boulevard
And all the American Heros are standing in the shadows
All the green girls are home with broken hearts ...CHORUS

Tree fallin', now I'm a, tree fallin', now I'm a
Tree fallin', now I'm a, tree fallin', now I'm a

I wanna drive down to the Old growth forest
Try and save America from greenies with their stupid lies
Gonna tree fall and start makin somethin'
Gonna jump start this world for a while...
CHORUS (with backing vocals) CHORUS (and backing vocals) AGAIN