The following are comments prepared By Dave Stawicki on behalf of the Cumberland Chapter concerning the USDA Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative and its impact on the Daniel Boone National Forest. These comments were issued to the USDA Forest Service in Washington, DC in March, 2006.
Sir,
The Cumberland Sierra Club (KY) opposes the Secure Rural Schools Land Sales Initiative and its impact on the Daniel Boone National Forest. The DBNF is in a position of trying to acquire lands to consolidate its holdings and protect additional resources within the forest. The proposed initiative will have a damaging effect on this effort, especially in light of reduced funding of Forest activities, including land acquisition.
Whereas funding of school services and programs is a valid goal, education funding must not be tied to depleting national resources. And although parcels have been identified for sale by some Forest Service personnel, they have done so in an informational void without consulting with the forest units affected.
A second concern lies with the lack of financial data in this project. Whereas a land total has been identified for sale, and a target dollar amount set, there are no appraisal values set for these parcels and no guarantee that this initiative will achieve its goal.
Our third concern is that the Daniel Boone NF will be diminished and receive no benefit from this initiative. In fact, it is questionable that the citizens of Kentucky will benefit as funds from the sale of these parcels appear to be slated for communities in other states. If DBNF lands are to be disposed of, we expect that the proceeds and returns from those sales remain in the forest for its benefit and to achieve the goals and objectives set forth in the Management Plan for the DBNF.
It was probably a noble goal to share the profits from timbering with communities from which these resources were taken. But as timber activities declined and the income dropped, the fragile nature of such a plan has become apparent. Sale of Forest Service lands are not the solution. In fact, it is a costly stop gap measure. Our national lands must be preserved. Congress and the President must find other, permanent solutions to the problem of educational funding in our country. Those solutions do not involve the USDA-Forest Service or the lands it manages and preserves.
Sincerely,
Dave Stawicki
Cumberland Sierra Club
Forest Issues Chair
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