Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-04-13
GIVES REASON
FOR DECISION
FORESTER GREELEY WRITES OF
AIMS OF THE FORESTRY
DEPARTMENT
TAKE CARE OF TROY INTERESTS
Investigation Proved Claims of Local
Lumber Company

The following letter was received
last week by the Libby, Mont, Com
mercial Club, from w. B. Greeley,
acting forester, of Washington, d.
c., giving reasons to the Montana
people for the forestry departments
decision in the recent controversy
over the sale of the Callahan tract
of timber:
In accordance with your request,
| am glad to advise you of the decis-
ion which has been reached in regard
to the sale of the timber on Callahan
creek in the Pend Oreille National
Forest, Idaho, and the Kootenai Ma
tional Forest Montana. A very care
ful investigation of this whole stu
alton was made necessary by the con-
flicting claims presented. This in
vestigation, which was conducted on
the ground by an inspector repre-
senting the Forester, has disclosed
the existence of a legitimate demand
for this timber from two distinct
sources. The first is a new manu-
featuring development proposed in
the vicinity of Troy, Mont, at one of
the possible logging outlets of the
timber. The establishment of a man
ufacturing industry in this region
would be advantageous to its local
development and is deemed desirable
by the forest service. The second
legitimate demand is from the Bon
ners Ferry Lumber company, which
| is operating large sawmill at Bon
ners Ferry, Idaho. The investiga-
ton has shown that the timber owned
by this company is not so located
as to permit the efficient operation
of its sawmill without supplemental
purchases of national forest stump
age. Such purchases are therefore
necessary to enable this long-estab-
lished industry to continue on an eff
fective basis. The Bonners Ferry
Lumber company owns a tract of
timber which joins Callahan creek on
the north but which apparently can
not be operated to advantage except
in conjunction with the government
stumpage. A second possible outlet
for the Callahan creek timber thus
exists.
"The forest service, after taking
pains to investigate all aspects OF
this case very thoroughly, finds it.
self in the position of being unable
to satisfy both of the legitimate de-
mands for this timber. The service
would like very much to promote in
dustrial development in the local
communities in the western portion
of the Kootenai National forest which
are without manufacturing indus
tries. At the same time, the service
must recognize established industries
which require national forest stump
age for their continued operation as
entitled to reasonable consideration
in the making of awards.
"Ihe forest service can not be
placed in a position of discriminating
against either of these legitimate de-
mands for the timber in question. OF
against the local commercial and
community interests, which have sup
ported them. We would like to salts
4 fly both but that is manifestly i'm
possible as far as this tract of tim
! Der is concerned. 1t has therefore
been decided that all bids hitherto
submitted for the Callahan creek
timber will be rejected; that the tim
ber will be readvertised for a short
period with no restrictions as to point
of manufacture; and that the stump.
age will be awarded to the highest
bidder under such advertisement. Fol
lowing the disposal Of this tract, tht
service will undertake, in so far as il
can, to make provision otherwise fol
the requirements of one or more ap
plicants which will remain unsatis
fled Very truly yours, w. 3. Greeley
| Acting Forester"