Mark Rey set to hamstring Western national forests and counties allowing developers to pave Forest Service logging roads for remote subdivisions-
The “Darth Vader” of the national forests is poised to strike again during the Administration’s deaththrows. Former timber lobbyist Rey, who bosses the Forest Service, will try to set in stone the plan to make it easier to turn the remote backcountry to ugly, tax-draining subdivisions.
This is on behalf of Plum Creek Timber who would rather sale for subdivisions their timberlands interspersed with national forest land rather than grow trees. Plum Creek has about 8 million areas, mostly as the result of the 1864 Northern Pacific Land Grant.
This continues the host of housing policies of the Bush Administration which have caused a collapse of the economy of the United States and plunged the entire world into a recession. Fortunately, Obama can reverse this. In fact, he specifically referred to this during has campaigning in Montana.
U.S. Forest Policy Is Set to Change, Aiding Developer. Shift Would Let Firm Pave Logging Roads. By Karl Vick. Washington Post.
Update. Plum Creek Backs Off Road Easements in Montana. Timber company tells Missoula County the easement amendments are off the table, just as Mark Rey was ready to go to bat for it. By Matthew Frank, 1-05-09. New West.
2nd update. Forest Service too backs off road easements. By Courtney Lowery. New West.
Comments
These people are so sick. I have never been so ashamed to be an American as I have over the last eight years…
You’d think we had returned to the age of colonialism and religious crusades…
I’m sure by now Rey has been paid his thirty pieces of silver and, not even having the honor of the original, he’ll move on. A more sane administration or the courts, will hopefully rectify the situation. Unfortunately, Rey will never have to serve time for theft.
He is doing this knowing the Obama’s administration will have to immediately waste time reversing it. Time they could otherwise devote to more pressing matters that are vital to the american people. Isnt that treason?
I wonder what goes on in the minds of people like that. Perhaps we should send them all to a totally environmentally devoid area to live for a while.
I write about fish and wildlife and the absurdities of life. If you have an interest in humor and mysteries, you may enjoy my book. Please take a look.
http://www.barryahiggins.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Barry
As much as we would all like to plant Mr. Rey in the middle of grizz country and leave him to be recycled, these kinds of things are only limited by the ethics of the person with the power. Rey is slime with a hand out for money payoffs. He is also smart, and doing the business of the corporations–trying to lock up as much of the public lands for future development–of any kiind–as possible. This also does delay any kind of reform FS can get going. Given the Richardson issue, I suspect the natural world of the West and its problems are sinking on any kind of priority list for Obama. I think he will focus on making sure the public scandals are cleaned up, but will leave it up to Salazar to set the tone for the Department of Interior. What the incoming Ag Sec feels about roadless areas…who knows? Not many of those in farm country…
woo hoo! This would have been a nightmare for western Montana.
Breaking news this morning:
Seems there was too much uproar about the deal…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010502737.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Watch for a smaller, less impactive deal down the road with the new administration. Things are only turning 90 degrees, not 180.
Only a one trick pony spinmiester like Rey could make homeowners associations sound like a Christmas present to the public…LOL.
Barry raises an interesting point. You wonder..just how many of the OG folks live near the 4 Corners, or Gillette? How many nuke folks have summer homes near a plant? Or Plum Creek execs live in suburban developments? Maybe if they were forced to put their habitat where their corporate impacts are, we would see different decision making. I am currently battling with my health insurance company over prescription drug coverage, and the procedures are draconian, contradictory, illogical and change with each person one talks to. How fast do you think they would change if the CEO of Prudential had some drug his kid needed denied because of “cost considerations”? LOL…