Forest plan released; wilderness advocates upset

Forest plans for Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle national forests were released on Wednesday.

Now the public has 90 days to submit comments.

Officials have worked on the plan for 5 years, soliciting concerns from residents locally, regionally and nationally. Issues addressed included clean water, quiet trails, timber harvest, fish and wildlife management, fire protection, motorized use and the future of roadless areas.

"This is a pretty exciting time for us," said Bob Castaneda, supervisor for the 2.2 million-acre Kootenai National Forest. "We've been working on plans for 4 or 5 years. It involved a lot of work by our employees and influence we received for our communities."

"We share a lot of community interest and resources that are similar," Castaneda continued. "Plans were based on three important parts. One being the plans look for sustainability of resources, communities and economies."

Doug Ferrell of Trout Creek, spokesperson for the Cabinet Resource Group, is not happy with the proposal because it doesn't mention "designating wilderness."

During the planning process, Castaneda decided to eliminate the term "wilderness" because of the controversy it created with many local participants to the forest planning process. He replaced it with a designation called "wildlands."

"One of the many questions Castaneda has never answered is how he can square his decision with his agency's supposed commitment to consensus building," Ferrell said. "When he caved into opponents of wilderness, he made a total mockery of any sense of fairness and balance, much less the difficult goal of finding consensus.

"When Castaneda first changed the map last October, he said the word 'wilderness' was too controversial to use anymore, and he said the word "really bothered some people," Ferrell continued. "So essentially what he decided is that the desires of wilderness lovers everywhere should be sacrificed to protect the sensitive ears of those who are bothered when they hear the very word. If he wasn't serious, this would make a good joke."

Several public informational meetings will be held including from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at Troy High School; 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Upper Yaak Work Center; 7 to 9 p.m. May 24 at Lincoln County High School in Eureka; and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 25 at Kootenai Forest Supervisors office in Libby.

Written comments on the Kootenai Plan should be sent to: KIPZ Forest Plan Revision Team, Kootenai National Forest, 1101 Highway 2 West, Libby, Montana 59923.