(Gov) Schweitzer Tells Bush Off on Roadless Change (Montana)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/main/article/1635/

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has (figuratively) told President Bush to either put up or shut up on the administration’s new roadless rule.

The administration announced last month that it had overturned the Clinton-era roadless rule, opening up 58 million acres of roadless land in the West (6.9 million in Montana) to road building. That is, unless governors petition otherwise. Governors now have 18 months to make the decisions on these lands, a responsibility that does not sit well with Schweitzer.

“They’ve given me a broke-down baler and a vice-grip and told me to bale hay,” Schweitzer told New West Tuesday afternoon.

In non-farmer terms, Schweitzer is saying the State of Montana has neither the money nor expertise to deal with such a decision.

In a letter to President Bush, Schweitzer writes “The Forest Service has been trying to resolve this issue for upwards of 30 years with little to no success. With each succeeding plan, the issues have become more contentious and irreconcilable. Now your administration, without the benefit of public hearings, has issued a final rule that asks the states to shoulder this burden both administratively and financially.”

[Straight Shooter]

1. I love this guy, from what I've seen of him and what I've heard from him

He's a real straight shooter. :7

[tk2kewl]

2. Montanans wouldn't have it any other way.

A friend of mine is married to a woman whos dad was Monatana State Senator. No bullshit, and boy can he drink.

[mchill]

3. The Forest Service may have had the expertise in the past,

but the Forest Service doesn't have the money or number of personnel to deal with the issue either, thanks to Bush.

Like he's doing with the Forest Service, he will underfund the management of, make it look like a failure, then outsource the management to the highest bidder as the only solution. I fully suspect Weyerhauser, Lousiana Pacific or Sierra Pacific will be managing all federal timber lands, soon.

He's very actively wrecking the Forest Service via several old laws that Cheney put on the books in 1974 that allow outsourcing of government business. He's doing it in the name of cost efficiency, when in fact, it is costing us more $$ and decreasing productivity and efficiency. I've never seen morale so low as the last few years within the Forest Service. Things are falling apart.

[tk2kewl]

4. shit

that is horrible.

i used to work as an environmental planner, but had to shift my career to GIS because the politicians got busy gutting the authority of our department and reducing our jobs to checklist reviews. it was depressing.

[Pachamama]

5. Isn't Gov. Schweitzer a Republican?

Just wondering...I thought he was....

[LynneSin]

6. Nope, he's one of us

http://www.democraticgovernors.org/governors

[BlueIris]

7. Contact info for Schweitzer and Johanns:

The Honorable Mike Johanns
Secretary of Agriculture.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

To email Secretary Johanns, click here
[e-mail]
[phone]

Governor Brian Schweitzer
State Capitol
Helena, MT 59620-0801
[phone]
TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) [phone]

http://www.mt.gov/
[e-mail]

[BlueIris]

8. Come on, DU letter-writers. Can't hurt to drop at least Johanns

a couple of lines about the ineffectual beauracracy at work here. And Schweitzer might appreciate a thank you for speaking his mind.

[BlueIris]

10. I'm licking the stamp on my Schweitzer letter now...mmm...tasty...

...yum...

[0007]

9. More politicians should stand up to junior and his SS storm troopers,

I'm getting to indeed like this Governor of Montana.