Misleading statements made of mill closing

To the Editor:

During the last few weeks there have been at least two intentionally misleading statements in newspapers in Northwestern Montana.

The first statement is the statement by the Wilderness Association of a ridiculously low percentage of Montana land in wilderness. The true figure is close to 20 percent (1 acre out of 5) is presently in designated wilderness. This provides less than 3 percent of the recreation use on National Forest land. The Forest Service stopped counting in the late 80's because use was declining.

The second statement was in an op-ed article by an economics professor in which he blames the low market for wood products for the closure of the Owens and Hurst mill. He is obviously a strong pseudo-environmentalist (obstructionist) trying to shift the blame for the closure.

Succinctly: The mill closure is due to lack of raw materials (logs). While millions and millions of board feet of usable wood is rotting within 20 miles of the mill, it can't be touched because of lawsuits by obstructionist groups.

The new Forest Service will leave a legacy of decadent, dead and dying trees, ashes and snags resulting from their scorched earth policies.

This next year is the 100th anniversary of the Forest Service. The first 80 years resulted in a legacy of healthy sustainable forests. The last 20 years have all been downhill. Our elected legislators in Washington have not introduced a single bill to stop these catastrophic mill closures. They are too busy getting re-elected.

John Hossack

Eureka