Kootenai Forest issues dominate agenda

A new Board of Lincoln County Commissioners convened Wednesday with Tony Berget as its presiding commissioner, and the panel then heard from two Kootenai Forest entities.

The commissioners, who now consist of Libby representative Berget, Ron Downey of Troy and newly elected representative Mike Cole of Eureka, heard first from Kootenai National Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford. Commissioners later heard from the forest advocacy group, the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders, who asked for greater collaboration from commissioners in their efforts to manage, utilize and see more timber jobs. The group’s next meeting is 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at Flathead Valley Community College.

Bradford first updated commissioners on the Forest Plan Revision.

“We are close to finalizing the BA (biological assessment). We’re very close with the Forest Plan Revision,” Bradford told commissioners.

Bradford also revisited briefings he had with the USDA on progress toward the completion of the plan, stating, “we are preparing the final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Revised Plan, and we expect to release those in early 2013.”

In the effort of revising the Forest Plan, Bradford said the process has been extensive.

“We’ve heard lots of comments on both sides of the issue,” Bradford said.

Addressing the concerns of the Grizzly Bear Access Amendment and its relationship with the Revised Forest Plan, Bradford said the Forest Service “continues to utilize the GBAA to the Forest Plan in our project level discussions.”

And, while the USFS was given a 60-day notice of intent to sue in June, there have been no filings to date in district court. However, Bradford said, the USFS has received a notice of intent to file a lawsuit on the Young Dodge timber project, subject to the effects on grizzly bears, lynx and bull trout.

“The Office of General Counsel and the Department of Justice have filed documents with the Missoula District Court on the grizzly project, asking for dissolution of the court’s injunction,” Bradford said. “(Also,) We are currently preparing NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) documents that will support our action to remove the injunction on the Miller West Fisher project,” he said.

In discussions with representatives of the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders group, which included Robyn King of the Yaak Valley Forest Council, Tim Dougherty of the Idaho Forest Group, Paul McKenzie, lands and resource manager for F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber of Columbia Falls, former commissioner John Konzen, Paul Rumelhart, executive director of the Kootenai Development Council, and Bradford, the group is clearly looking for a greater role of the commissioners.

Konzen, a former commissioner, stated there were instances when both he and just-retired Commissioner Marianne Roose both attend the Stakeholders meetings.

The Stakeholders, which consists of various entities that have come together for the betterment of the Kootenai National Forest with an eye toward management and jobs, urged renewed collaboration of the new board of commissioners. 

“I think we need to quit pussy-footing around and get to the real reason we’re here,” Konzen said. “We need your (commissioners) support.”

Stakeholders members contend the way to get things done is to promote a unified front, the mills included.

“Stoltze came close to stepping away from this thing,” said McKenzie, the Stoltze representative. “It’s difficult and some things don’t move as fast as you would like. However, we see the benefits of collaboration.”

McKenzie told commissioners there was a time when 80 percent of his business resulted from contracts on federal lands. Today, that number is 20 percent.

“We just need to push (for collaboration),” McKenzie said.

Dougherty said presenting a unified front is the way to accomplish goals and get things done.

 “Collaboration is where it’s at. My father used to say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Collaboration is the way to get the grease,” Dougherty said. “The (USFS) agency is very budget-driven, and not a lot of people are into timber. However, it is still a robust business. The more elected officials can further their support, the better.”

Downey, the Troy Commissioner, seated between Berget and Cole, said it seems free enterprise has been taking a beating, but things will get better.

“You can’t give up,” Downey said. “Anything we can do to help, (we’ll) do.”

Berget concluded by saying he has not attended the last couple of meetings, but agreed he would try to attend the next meeting Jan. 30.