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What Cary Kelly failed to describe in a past letter was how he, the “consummate politician,” exited stage right through the yellow doors as the wilderness designation conversation unexpectedly turned against those unveiling the decade-old secret environmentalist effort. Yes the conversation turned into widespread opposition, which can be measured by the Clark Fork City Council’s unanimous vote in opposition to the wilderness designation. Kelly’s premature departure left residents without the opportunity to question and get answers to his involvement in the process.

Involvement as Kelly proclaims in support of the Idaho Forest Group, and I would further add the Panhandle Forest Collaborative, includes a private industry sell-out, a malfeasant action. The timber lobby groups IFG and PFC will receive special consideration, which is believed to have already started, from environmentalists. Environmentalists like Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness will not challenge timber cutting (timber dollars) in exchange for a declaration of land seizure from the Clark Fork community, otherwise known as federal “wilderness designation” or more ambiguously “congressional designation.”

Is Kelly a “friend” of FSPW, thus creating a conflict of interest? Another question he was able to duck. If the City Council in voting unanimously is irresponsible of knowing the community’s pulse, I assume they’ll be losing their council seats. I bet they don’t.

As Kelly identifies himself as a once sheriff’s deputy, he fails to inform you that the sheriff is publicly and adamantly against this federal land seizure otherwise known as wilderness designation.

P.S. The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness is no friend of the city of Clark Fork. It is inserting it’s influence in our backyard without paying attention to the little bit of input we were allowed.

DAVID BANNING

Clark Fork