Timber harvests on federal lands become important to local governments, including rural schools, which share in the revenues. But when the harvest is limited, so are the revenues, and local government budgets suffer.
But a Bush administration proposal to restore some of the lost funding to rural schools by selling off public lands is wrong, and should not be seen as an answer to get more money to rural schools. The Bush administration plans to sell 300,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands to raise about $800 million for rural schools in 41 states.
According to President Bush's proposed 2007 budget, the move is to aid states and counties affected "by the ongoing loss of receipts associated with lower timber harvests on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere." The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act would be extended five years and amended to target the most affected areas, then eventually phased out.
"The budget would provide these payments in a fiscally responsible manner by offsetting costs through the sale of land parcels that meet criteria identified in existing national forest plans as suitable for conveyance because they are isolated or inefficient to manage," says Bush's budget. "The sale and resulting development of these excess lands could increase the state and county tax base. Additionally, the sale would free up resources that could be more effectively targeted to higher-priority lands."
While making sound management sense, we question if today -- when development pressure is high as is public concern over retaining pristine wild lands -- if there is such a thing as "isolated or inefficient to manage lands."
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National forests are important, and should be maintained, as more and more marginal land is being developed. Locally, we would have to study long and hard before condoning the sale of any of the Chippewa National Forest, no matter how isolated or hard to manage the parcel is. At best, land exchanges could be used, but not land sale.
The permanent loss of public lands just isn't worth the short-term gain to schools. Better are ways to increase timber harvest on national forests to match sustainable harvest levels, or reducing stumpage fees to draw more business.
Two Democratic senators -- Max Baucus of Montana and Ron Wyden of Oregon -- offered their own proposal Thursday. They would raise $2.6 billion over the next 10 years for the rural schools program by closing a tax loophole they said allows some government contractors to avoid tax obligations. That plan would provide a steady revenue stream for the program.
Congress needs to explore all the options to make sure rural schools are supported, but that must not include the sale of lands that the public wants preserved as natural treasures in the public's trust. -- Bemidji Pioneer
