The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-05-07
Cooperation Agreement Loosely Drawn


the that it all for the company
opoy of the timber of this section of the state AnC
the arguments presented, consider alternatives.
stated that the Nes Lumber Company will be obligated
to operate sawm at Troy winch would cut an average
10 million board feet of logs into rough lumber annually
This rough lumber then would be carried to the Libby plant
of the for finishing and marketing This
that the Forest Services plan sabze Troy would
the employment of very small number of in the
lumber operations at Troy of the products of that
mill be finished there.
The statement interest the Forest Service
in community sterilization but there nowhere in the state
any mention other than Troy Libby
Why has the Forest Service overlooked Eureka Trego Fore
and Sker? These communities at the present time at least
dependent to considerable extent on small numbering
operations.
There doesn't seem to be any legitimate reason advanced
in the statement why competitive sawml and lumber finish
plant to break the monopoly of Ne should not be
couraged to start at Troy This kind of plant would provide
several times the amount OF employment that would be needed
operate rough lumber saWm only Certainly this would
be effective in stabilizing Troy.
The bulk of white and ponderosa
in the national forest lands and in the Nes and other privately
owned lands in the In the statement by the regional
forester is asserted that There nothing to indicate that
the industry thrive stable basis during the coming
without ponderosa and white pine Yet has deve
oped hearings held in the that of the million feet
the Forest Service supposed to ao to the independent
orators annually there will be ponderosa white pine
This like another deliberate by the
to further the monopoly interests of the Neils company
Moreover many independent small operators appear to
have OF knowing from to just where the
allotment of timber for them is going be- The large
and the allotment might be so miles from where their
plants located Certainly this violates intent to stabilize
AS matter of fact the entire statement that sustained
yield be accomplished without support by monopoly
And according the regional forester the Independent opera
cannot survive anyhow since they will have allotment
of ponderosa and white pine.
Section four of the proposed plan provides for possible
changes the entire plan and certainly the
widest possible latitude to the Forest Service officials de-
termnng whether the shall be allowed
specifically limited by other provisions in the plan
Section which is entitled "Other practices on
company lands under which the permit
" practices its lands conducted according to
similar national forest and practices " The proposed
then grazing lands follows
The grazing of livestock lands owned by the company
under standards of and applicable to
comparable of National Forest land be permitted
and the conservative utilization of forage under such conditions
will be encouraged" to call attention to the of
the word may instead of the word sha in this provision
And livestock might also note that nothing said about
grazing fees the company lands The Forest Service
permit the pattern of and
for grazing national forest lands.
Section T. it to has very clever little Joker
This section recreatona of company lands
and starts by stating that the cooperators ore Service
and Nes company will jointly coordnaed
ton plans. Later it gives the company out with
vision that the unable to develop for expected
public ay elect offer exchange the
Forest Service "FOR OTHER LAND OR TIMBER FROM THE
NATIONAL FOREST ;" Emphasis ours)
The of the features of the proposed
cooperative agreement which it fixes far too
much for changes to make anything but tentative
There intent here to cast reflection
integrity Of the Forest Service officials But the public
realize that under this agreement the greatest latitude
Service