primergray
11-21-2002, 11:37 AM
This was copied from my home town paper in Centralia Washington. Land Closures not only hurt the Offroading Community, it hurts our schools back home. If this isn't enough to get people involved I don't know what else to say.
Jack
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Environmentalism hugely expensive taxpayer burden
Lewis County may well take another big hit in a few years as a result of costly regulation and mandates aimed at protecting our environment.
Enforcement of the federal Threatened and Endangered Species Act has already taken a major toll on the economy of East Lewis County. Protection mandated for spotted owls and other flora and fauna in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest has been a big factor in nearly shutting down the timber supply from that source for East Lewis County mills.
Many areas of the national forest previously open to management for timber harvest have been put off limits for owl and old-growth timber protection, roadless areas and uses other than timber. Timber sales in the relatively small remaining area are delayed, stalled or halted by mandated environmental impact studies for various flora and fauna or by legal challenges in court mounted by environmental groups.
As a result, revenue from national forest timber sales, part of which has been allocated to local school districts and the county, has declined correspondingly and dramatically in recent years. There is also less money from that source for other Forest Service programs, such as for campgrounds, and trail and road maintenance.
Consequently, Congress has subsidized the decline in timber revenues to counties and schools with general taxpayer money, through the federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
But that money, as pointed out the other day by Lewis County Engineer Pete Ringen, is set to expire after 2006. Unless the act is renewed or is supplanted at least in part by money from the state, our county government will have a big shortfall for its road maintenance and improvement program. Local school districts, such as those struggling in East Lewis County, would also take a hit.
East Lewis County in particular has sustained job losses and school enrollment declines from mill closures and scale backs significantly attributable to the congressionally mandated environmentalism that is directing management of our national forests. Schools in that end of the county would be hurt even worse if the 2000 act isn’t renewed and the subsidy is lost.
Environmentalism is also exacting another major cost to the taxpayers with regard to road projects. The environmental impact studies and mitigation required for highway projects, such as for widening Interstate 5 through Lewis County, add major amounts to the costs of those projects.
The public may desire environmental protection, but the reality is that it comes at a huge cost to taxpayers one way or another.
Jack
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Environmentalism hugely expensive taxpayer burden
Lewis County may well take another big hit in a few years as a result of costly regulation and mandates aimed at protecting our environment.
Enforcement of the federal Threatened and Endangered Species Act has already taken a major toll on the economy of East Lewis County. Protection mandated for spotted owls and other flora and fauna in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest has been a big factor in nearly shutting down the timber supply from that source for East Lewis County mills.
Many areas of the national forest previously open to management for timber harvest have been put off limits for owl and old-growth timber protection, roadless areas and uses other than timber. Timber sales in the relatively small remaining area are delayed, stalled or halted by mandated environmental impact studies for various flora and fauna or by legal challenges in court mounted by environmental groups.
As a result, revenue from national forest timber sales, part of which has been allocated to local school districts and the county, has declined correspondingly and dramatically in recent years. There is also less money from that source for other Forest Service programs, such as for campgrounds, and trail and road maintenance.
Consequently, Congress has subsidized the decline in timber revenues to counties and schools with general taxpayer money, through the federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
But that money, as pointed out the other day by Lewis County Engineer Pete Ringen, is set to expire after 2006. Unless the act is renewed or is supplanted at least in part by money from the state, our county government will have a big shortfall for its road maintenance and improvement program. Local school districts, such as those struggling in East Lewis County, would also take a hit.
East Lewis County in particular has sustained job losses and school enrollment declines from mill closures and scale backs significantly attributable to the congressionally mandated environmentalism that is directing management of our national forests. Schools in that end of the county would be hurt even worse if the 2000 act isn’t renewed and the subsidy is lost.
Environmentalism is also exacting another major cost to the taxpayers with regard to road projects. The environmental impact studies and mitigation required for highway projects, such as for widening Interstate 5 through Lewis County, add major amounts to the costs of those projects.
The public may desire environmental protection, but the reality is that it comes at a huge cost to taxpayers one way or another.