Sometime we win...National Forests and Wildlife Refuge
Courts ruled against opening up National Forest in Colorado and Alaska.
Forum Discussion
Whoever said timber was 'given away' to corporate interests?
Timber is sold at competitive auction to the highest bidder. That is frequently, but not always, a locally owned small logging business.
By definition, the highest bid at a competitive auction is the fair market value.
Of the revenue obtained for the timber, 25% goes right back to the local county earmarked for county roads and schools. Up to 10% is retained by the National Forest for forest roads and trails. Of the remaining, up to 90% may be retained by the National Forest to improve forest health in the harvested area, including reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, stabilizing disperse camping sites, and similar.
The peak year for timber harvests in the National Forest system was 1970. It has been in decline ever since. Harvesting never exceeded sustained yield, and in the Sierra Nevada of California harvests are currently around 5% of sustained yield. National Forests are not now, and never have been, overharvested. If anything, they are grossly underharvested.
Timber is sold at competitive auction to the highest bidder. That is frequently, but not always, a locally owned small logging business.
By definition, the highest bid at a competitive auction is the fair market value.
Of the revenue obtained for the timber, 25% goes right back to the local county earmarked for county roads and schools. Up to 10% is retained by the National Forest for forest roads and trails. Of the remaining, up to 90% may be retained by the National Forest to improve forest health in the harvested area, including reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, stabilizing disperse camping sites, and similar.
The peak year for timber harvests in the National Forest system was 1970. It has been in decline ever since. Harvesting never exceeded sustained yield, and in the Sierra Nevada of California harvests are currently around 5% of sustained yield. National Forests are not now, and never have been, overharvested. If anything, they are grossly underharvested.
