No headline

Dick Kramer (Bee, Feb. 5) wrote of the USFS wilderness process, yet he didn’t mention a single meeting in Clark Fork or other local areas. He also didn’t mention 36CFR293.5 which requires the USFS to hold hearings in areas affected by their actions. He blames local residents for not catching one of his “Sandpoint area” meetings years ago, but I blame the USFS for ignoring federal law.

The current travel plan shows no Scotchman restrictions, there are no signs and the 2015 visitors map shows the area as open for snowmobiling. The supposed Scotchman restrictions are a joke. He wrote that “logging and road building were prohibited in Scotchman because it would preclude wilderness designation,” yet there are two areas with roads and clearcuts in this proposed wilderness. Both of these are also outside the “roadless” area designations (because they are roaded).

Dick apparently confused 36CFR261.57, which does give the USFS power to prohibit firearms specifically in wilderness areas, with other laws concerning safety and shooting in other areas. No need for a “government conspiracy theory,” Dick, it is simply the law.

Scotchman has large areas that are important for elk and mule deer, but due to the lack of USFS management, are being degraded by dying trees and fire. The 2015 fire reduced this and threatened homes north of Clark Fork. Despite what supporters say, once a wilderness is designated, no serious forest or wildlife management is ever possible, due to lawsuits by environmental groups. That is the reality.

STAN MYERS

Hope