About damned time. The logging industry has proved they can be environmentally responsible.
Now, let's bring back DDT.
Posted on 09/13/2005 4:44:37 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Saws may again be buzzing on federal land set aside for northern spotted owls.
As the result of an early August settlement of a lawsuit brought by timber interests, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is preparing to revise its land use plans for western Oregon where the owls live. Because the spotted owl perches in pines on BLM land managed by the Klamath Falls office, it too will revamp its plan.
"There potentially could be a big shift back," said Don Hoffheins, environmental coordinator in the Klamath Falls office.
Back to logging.
Before the current plan, crafted under President Clinton's Northwest Forest Plan, went into effect in 1995, 1.2 billion board-feet of timber was taken from the forests.
"It basically shut down logging completely in the 1990s," said Jon Raby, manager of the BLM's Klamath Falls office.
In those same woods, 211 million board-feet were taken last year.
While logging won't return to those numbers, there could be more logging on land now marked off-limits because of the spotted owl, Raby said.
Revision of the plan should be done by spring 2008, with the public getting to browse through a draft in 2007. Along with the Klamath Falls office, plans for resources around Salem, Eugene, Roseburg and Coos Bay will be revised.
The plans will affect 2.5 million acres of federal land in Oregon, 215,000 acres of which are managed out of the Klamath Falls office. In all, the revision will cost $8 million for all the districts, Raby said.
The BLM will host an open house about the potential changes in the plan on Oct. 15 at the Shilo Inn. There will be two sessions, from noon to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The current plan was finished in 1996, when concern about the northern spotted owl trumped interests in logging. Special reserves, where logging is prohibited and spotted owls are protected, were set up in the plan.
Near Klamath Falls, those reserves are on federal land that had been earmarked for timber production. Such conflicts in missions for the land is what caused the American Resource Council to bring in the 1990s lawsuit.
In settling the lawsuit, the BLM said it will revise its plans and possibly open up some of the reserves for logging again. The BLM had expected the plan to last longer than the decade that it did.
"Originally, this was envisioned to be a 100-year plan," Raby said.
From now on, the plans will probably be revised every 10 to 15 years, he said.
BTW: they like cell towers and big pole signs better.
I'm an "earth first" kinda guy, when we finish logging here we can start on the other planets!
Enjoy your cave and loincloth then Tarzan.
This may keep the price of lumber under control, now that demand is up because of the hurricane.
Great news and it's about time. Maybe we can next start mining coal in the Grand Escalante or whatever that place is called. And build a few nuke plants in ANWAR while we're at it.
No sarcasm here.
I object to government "giving away" this timber for ridiculously low prices..
I also object to any such timber being sold to foreign interests..
Federal timber should be for domestic use only..
Likewise, logging rights, etc. should result in a small profit to the BLM that can be used for departmental projects like conservation, forest management, water projects, etc..
There is often too much political favoritism in these operations, and in the end, it often does not benefit the american public..
Fed timber here..goes to the highest bidder. Then the assinine rules and regs and piss poor marking by-you guessed it, tree hugger nuts who have infiltrated the USFS, and its near impossible to cut a job and not get fined for something.
"Federal timber should be for domestic use only.."
If I purchase a federal timber sale I own all those trees that are marked, now, who's timber is it? Mine? Yours? the Feds? They sell trees to those like me (again, highest bidder)..what we do with them after is none of their business.
Sorry chum, but I'll sell my product to whoever pays the most for it and nobody will tell me otherwise. I dont tell the store owner who he/she can sell their goods to and I expect the same for my business.
The spotted owl lives on the edge of forestlands in trees called K-Martsigns.
The birds resemble the Mexican spotted owl but unlike their cousins, they don't sneak in illegally.
That the spotted owl tastes like chicken is largely a myth propagated by well-meaning Freepers; they taste like turkey. This is why one should always carry a box of Stove Top stuffing when in spotted owl territory.
To call a spotted owl, go like this: AAAIIIIIYYYYOOOOO! If you hear this answering call - AAAIIIYYYAAAA! - that's a logger in the forest happy you've arrived with the beer. Do not attempt this call on a Saturday night or the local sheriff may arrest you for drunk and disorderly.
If you accidentally shoot a spotted owl, see paragraph #3.
It may help, but I doubt it. It takes years to set up a fed sale. They got to do a bio study, an evironmental assessment, and on and on till they finally get to the point where the sale is set up.
If you have ever seen a federal timber sale info pack you'd be shocked. It takes a lawyer to figure it all out.
According to an old "cajun" comedian turned TV chef, Justin Wilson ........
"Whatcha got der', son" ??
"Shick'n hawk.."
"Whatcha go'n do wit' it" ??
" Make me some gumbo.."
" Dat right? What's Shick'n Hawk gumbo taste lak"??
" 'Bout lak Owl.."
That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it..
About damned time. The logging industry has proved they can be environmentally responsible.
Now, let's bring back DDT.
I've seen timber sold by the fed (practically given away, possibly at a loss ) to China..
I've seen the raw timber loaded onto "factory ships"..
Those ships cut, kiln dried the lumber, and built furniture and other items on the return trip to china..
The Chinese got that timber at below-market prices, less than any american company could have..
Just sayin'...
Domestic use should have preference..
And all sales should at least financially support forest and land management costs and projects..
I've seen other BLM documents. They are catalogs of doublespeak and bureaucratese. It takes 50 pages just to figure out where to start to get lost.
Some DDT in NO would go along way toward saving some of those people that Noogin and blanco didn't already kill
FYI
Get those chainsaws oiled and let's rock 'n roll!
Thought you might be interested in this....
We have too many citizens who would rather see the forests burn than use the wood for productive purposes.
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