The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-05-06
Forest Service Hold
PmbIic Meeting at Troy

Public Meeting at Troy
The presentation by the Forest
Service of the performed coopera-
tive agreement between the J. Neils
Lumber Company and the Forest
Service for use in connection with
the establishment of cooperative
Sustained Yield unit under the pro-
visions of the Sustained Yield act
of March, 1914 was on April % in
the High School auditorium. Super
visor Guernsey of Libby was in
charge of the meeting which was
well attended by Troy and vicinity
persons. When Regional Forester
p. D. Hanson was introduced he
stated that the National Forest tim
Der situation was in poor condition
and we of this area were fortunate
to be able to do something about
it while there is yet time. Only
10 per cent of virgin timber stands
remain and IS per cent of this lies
west of the Rocky Mountains. In
the south there is high premium
on yellow pine. He had heard of
instances where IS dollars was paid
per thousand for stumpage, the rate
of exhaustion is so high. AS the
III OLllCA ANEaACAAo - ~ cA~NNS@
the desire of mill owners to move
to Lincoln county increases. Here
is one of the relatively few places
for this project under the Sustained
Yield law, but study OF the same
reveals complex situation.
In Missoula Senator Fewkes and |
Mr.. Pattie called at the office and
asked the Forest Service consider
the requirements of the town OF
Troy for a saw mill and poles. The +
Forest Service have made an in
tensive study over a period OF sew
eral years.
The timber is inaccessible in many
cases 100000 would be required
to build main roads into the areas
and additional funds would neces-
sarily have to be appropriated for
trails Also the quality of the
species is a detriment to private
ownership. True we have obstacles
but we also have a plant Mr. Han
son continued. Huge government
ALLEGATIONS are difficult to obtain and
as this takes capital to develop the
property we are interested in tie
ing up with company that has
capital.
A tangible result of the work will
be fire protection grazing a sus-
tanned tax base, good schools, etc
Remember, Mr.. Neils has not said
he will accept this plan but we
hope to have a favorable decision.
Regarding monopoly and we
might as we'll face it frankly, labor
cannot get along without capital
nor can capital carry on without
labor so we need little and big
operators. Mr.. Hanson appealed to
the people Of understanding and |
suggested that a committee be APP
pointed to meet with his men and |
help solve any difficulties Mr.. Axel |
Lindh introduced maps and charts |
to elucidate his subject on the
areas affected, and the amount of |
disable timbers and Forest Service
and company ground as well as
species Of timber.
He specified that this was just
a public meeting and not the pub
lie hearing as specified in the act
further. There will be no effort to
put the plan into effect until after
the people have had time to give
it a thorough study Local Forest
Service men will answer any ques-
tons.
Howard Ahlskog timber salesman
at the Libby office conducted
question and answer discussion
The first to take advantage of this
period was Judge L. Erickson legal
representative of the Troy Develop
ment Association. AS he had a
number of questions he asked per
to the front. Mr. Ahlskog
denied him this and suggested he +:
proceed from where he was. The
Judge acquiesced. His. first ques-
ton dealt with the figures of the
amount of pine included and he (
asked, Does the six million #. al
lotted small mills include white {
and ponderosa pine?" Mr.. Ahlskog &
be believed so, then the '
Judge went on to show from the c
figures submitted by the Bowman 7
report that there was a total of IL \
million feet of these two species t
available for annual cut and in page a
10 of the booklet distributed it was
stated that the Neils Company were e
IL million feet of pine year s
ly The Forest Service personnel 4
showed that these were only round s
figures and the small operator
would get his proportion. The judge C
asked about the proposed Federal t.