Steve Whitney, Northwest director of the Wilderness Society, says his organization wouldn't have worried much about that question 10 years ago. Now, though, there is concern about not only saving favorite hiking spots and remnants of wilderness, but entire ecosystems. We've cut ourselves into a corner. We're rearranging the deck chairs in the Cascades, but there aren't enough chairs to go around. Washington's congressional delegation is solidly behind the trade.
Some groups are strong backers of the exchange.
Other would-be supporters are opposing the legislation, upset it would make appeals and legal challenges difficult. Still others argue it's foolhardy to trade away any mature or old-growth forest, no matter what taxpayers get in return. While many federal land trades are hammered out far from the public eye, the Plum Creek exchange has been heavily scrutinized. The timber company has courted public support, spelling out its plans at numerous forums and negotiating details with conservation groups and Indian tribes. The attention has helped to reshape the original I-90 proposal.