Common
Ground consists of people from the full spectrum of the public on a
consensus basis.
__MFMU Board of Directors & Members meet with Flathead Forest
Supervisor & Staff.
Attended by a number of elected officials of State Legislature. Discussion
of issues pertaining to wildfire & fuel loadings from lack of forest
management. Lack of timber sales. Logs being cut up for firewood rather
than going to local mills, etc. 1/00
__Attended public meeting at OutLaw
Inn. Forest Service
presentation of Proposed 3 State Ban on Off Highway Vehicles.
__Attended U.S.Forest Service Public Meeting on Goals 2000 Proposed
Plan. Missoula.
__Attended U.S.Forest Service Public Meeting on Forest Planning
Rules Proposal (Change)
__Prepare and send response to Forest Planning Rule Change 1/00
__Meet on Big Creek Management Unit with Common Ground over Big Mtn.
roads issue. 1/00
__Shovels Of Solidarity for Jarbidge Rally at Flathead Fair Grounds.
Prepared advertisement and assisted in rally preparation and the rally.
Had pre-meeting with local elected officials on forest issues. MFMU
members joined convoy of shovels to Jarbidge via Missoula. Attended large
Rally in Elko Nevada. 1/29/00
__Attend Federal Caucus Hearing at OutLaw Inn.
4-H or Habitat, Hatcheries, Hydro-power, and Harvest. All relative to
Salmon recovery and dam destruction in Columbia River Basin. 3/00
__Organized meeting of elected officials, public, and agency
officials on discussion of Columbia Basin: dam
removals, salmon recovery, and hydro-power issues.
__Prepared and sent comments to Plum Creeks Habitat Conservation
Plan to U.S. Fish & Wildlife.
__Researched & submitted responses to: Bonneville
Power Fish & Wildlife Implementation EIS, John Day Dam Drawdown, Lower
Snake River Fish Study (4 Dam Breaching Proposal), Federal Caucus Paper
(4-H or Habitat, Hatcheries, Harvest, & Hydro-power.) With
several elected officials, prepared packets of Resolutions from Montana
State Legislature and mailed to above agencies, and other state and
federal elected officials.
__Submitted comments on Big Creek Mgmt Unit Scoping request.
3/00
__MFMU Board and members meeting with Flathead Forest Supervisor and
Staff. Discuss usual Forest
issues and lack of forest management.
__Submitted comments to Great Western Trail Proposal Study (Mexico
to Canada) 4/00
__Researched and submitted comments to Forest Service National Road
Mgmt. Policy 4/00
__Research and submit comments on U.S. Fish & Wildlife Grizzly
Bear Reintroduction to Selway-Bitterroot. 4/00
__To Helena en masse and testified at State Land Board meeting on
Dept. of Natural Resources proposed timber sales.
Testified for and in opposition to environmentalists. 4/00
__MFMU submits Roadless Initiative questions to Flathead County
Commissioners for possible inclusion on June Primary Ballet.
Do you oppose, or do you support the closing more roads and the 40-60
million acre roadless initiative. Commissioners approve for ballot.
Carried as opposed by 79% of Flathead County residents. Carried 81% as
opposed in 3 northwest Montana Counties. 3/00
__MFMU establishes a Web-Site. mtmultipleuse.org 3/00
__Legal Action
Seminar. Public
seminar sponsored by MFMU featuring Karen Budd-Falen of the Budd-Falen Law
Offices of Cheyenne, WY. Budd-Falen Law Firm is handling the Clean Water
Action Plan legal action against seven (7) Federal Agencies for enacting
illegally or without the U.S. Congress or the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). 4/00
__Prepared and mailed comments to U.S. Rep. Rick Hill, Senators
Conrad Burns and Max Baucus to actively oppose the Conservation And
Reinvestment Act (CARA) bill. 5/00
__MFMU members assist with the annual Family Forestry Expo.
Field trip for 1500 valley 8th grade students. Parents and public on
Saturday and Sunday. 5/00
__MFMU with Montanans For Property Rights sponsor a Candidates Forum
for County Commissioner Candidates. 5/00
__Annual Roadside Clean-up by MFMU board & members.
Four (4) miles completed 5/00
__Field Trip with Flathead National Forest Supervisor and Staff to
Star Meadows on Tally Lake Ranger District.
Observe and discuss insect damage and killing of timber and down timber
being cut up along roads as firewood but cannot be sold and taken to
sawmills. 6/7
__MFMU joins with l00's and l00's of western Montanans in a convoy
of people, cars, trucks, logging and chip trucks to Missoula, MT. to hold
a protest at the Roadless Initiative hearing in Missoula, MT.
A rally to behold by people with a belly full of initiative's and
bureaucracy by Federal Agencies in charge of administering the public
lands.
__Roadless Initiative Open House by Forest Service 6/26 &
27.
__Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Plan.
ICBEMP Research and submit comments.
__MFMU members journey to Great Falls to attend public appearance of
Bruce Babbitt and the suspected proposal of the Missouri River Monument
designation.
Participated in protests with Stewards of the Missouri Breaks against
possible designation as a national monument.
__Research, prepare, and send freedom of information (FOIA) request
to the Chief of the Forest Service on the Roadless Initiative.
__Eleven (11) members of MFMU journey to Jarbidge on July 3 & 4
to join in shoveling and establishing a roadbed on the Jarbidge Road in
Nevada in defiance to the U.S. Forest Service destroying, blocking, and
claiming ownership of the section of road established before the U.S.
Forest Service existed.
__Freedom 21 Conference in St. Louis, MO.
MFMU Board Secretary attends conference sponsored by American Policy
Center, Liberty Matters, Eagle Forum, People for the U.S.A., Environmental
Conservation Organization (Eco-Logic), and Sovereignty
International.
__Organize S.O.D.
Shovels from Jarbidge to be transported to London, OH in support of the
Stewards of Darby. An attempt by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to
purchase up to 50,000 acres of prime farmland belonging to many families
and farmed for over 200 years. MFMU Board Secretary works hard and is
instrumental in establishing and organizing the agenda for the western end
for sending shovels from Jarbidge and Elko, NV to and the Darby Farmland
Rally near London, Ohio. Coordination and concurrence with key people of
numerous organizations holding rallys enroute to London, OH. 7 & 8/00
Rally stops provided citizens to exchange examples of federal infringement
on private property rights and federal land condemnations and purchases
for federal ownership in the name of saving wildlife & habitat.
__Obtain prizes & prepare tickets for raffle for legal action
fund and drawing at annual meeting in Nov..
__Members set up and man County Fair booth for 5 days and 12 hour
days. Entered
the World's Longest Picnic Table from the Jarbidge Brigade Rebellion in
the Fair Parade through downtown Kalispell.
__Two MFMU members assist recruiting and training 42 forest industry
people for qualifications as wildland firefighters for federal and state
firefighting forces.
Industry people shut out of woods because of fire danger.
__MFMU member by invitation testifies at U.S. Senate Committee Field
Hearing at Billings, MT on Sept. 21st. Senate Natural Recourses Committee.
Photos of dead and down timber going to waste on National Forest and Tree
Cookie submitted in evidence taken to Washington, D.C.
__MFMU members journey to Missoula, MT to attend House of
Representatives Field Hearing on the wildfires and fire effects.
With testimony on possible resolutions. House Subcommittee on Forest &
Forest Health chaired by Representative Helen Chenoweth Hage. Rep.
Chenoweth was subjected to attack by individual who rushed to front of
auditorium and threw rotten salmon on her.
__President & members organize Boston Tree Party.
Protest in front of Flathead National Forest Supervisor Office and
followed by public trip to the Tally Lake Ranger. Dist. to demonstrate
that merchantable timber can be sold for firewood to be taken out as
firewood versus being sold and taken to sawmills for valuable lumber.
Program was presented on live talk radio and advertised.
__MFMU Board Secretary coordinates with Jarbidge Rebellion
defendants in sharing expenses and obtaining Michael Coffman, Ph.D in
Forest Science as a speaker at a public meeting.
Dr. Coffman presented his program titled Globalization of America's Lands
& Natural Resources. Public attendance was over 200 and well received.
Dr. Coffman also was on live talk radio during appearance.
__MFMU Annual Meeting on Nov. 15th Meeting and drawing for Raffle
Prizes. Kick-off of
collection of donations of items for fire victims of the Bitterroot
wildfires that wiped out and devastated numerous citizens of homes and
property. Sixty nine (69) families lost homes and possessions. Radio Z600
talk radio host John Stokes announces a drop off point for donations at
the radio station entry. John also set up benefit dance featuring Angel
Hearts Band donating session at Rocky Mtn. Road House.
__Convoy delivery on 12/02/00 of donations to Hamilton and
Bitterroot fire victims.
Involved an 18 wheeler donated by Russ Olson Trucking and numerous
pickups. Cash donations received later mailed by cashiers check. $660.60
cash donations from benefit sent to Hands Committee in Hamilton, MT
__MFMU members submitted numerous letters to the editor and appeared
on many talk radio programs locally relative to numerous public land and
natural resource issues
__MFMU board of director's offer services to Flathead County
Commissioners for obtaining volunteers for research and advice of natural
resource issues as needed.
__MFMU seeks advice of Bud-Fallen Law Firm relating to U.S. Forest
Service no-response to FOIA request on Roadless EIS, submitted July
11, 2000 and no reply as of Dec. 6, 2000.
Twenty (20) day response required.
__MFMU submits scoping response Glacier National Park on Commercial
Services Plan/EIS preparation.
We did not count the number of people that showed up but would estimate about
50 at the 8:00 am, meeting at the Fairgrounds for coffee, donuts, and the ground
rules.
Everyone involved worked very hard. Some young fellows whose parents belong
to MFMU split much of the wood and without their help, the job would have taken
much longer. Enough folks were there to form a bucket type brigade and pass wood
to the road and into pickups. Some of the wood was loaded without splitting.
Several loads went to folks who are unable to cut wood.
Noon break consisted of hot dogs, coffee, and visiting. A good hard working
group of folks. It was hard work but enjoyable. The group was joined by Jim
Hurst of Owens & Hurst Mill of Eureka, MT in the afternoon. Jim was able to
view many miles of the Tally Lake area and observe the results of insect and
disease, dead standing and down timber, and general decadence of the forest.
There were 25 to 30 loads of firewood cut and an estimated 12,000 bd. ft. if
it all got counted. Most all of the wood cut could have been sent to a sawmill
if the Forest Service was willing to sell salvage timber. Only one tree was
felled, the rest was on the ground from wind throw. The Tally Lake area is full
of standing insect and disease killed timber in addition to wind throw, insect
hits are evident but due to overcast and the larch trees turning to bright
yellow, it was hard to point out.
We were near the Elk Mountain Fire that started on the Kootenie Forest and
advanced eastward onto the Tally Lake District. We were informed by the Forest
Supervisor the other day that they, the Forest Service, didn't think there was
much to salvage from the Elk Mtn. Fire. We drove by the Swaney Fire of the
summer of '99 which was put up for sale last fall and appealed by
environmentalists. The appeal was denied by the Forest Service and was just
sold. Unfortunately, it stood through this past hot summer. Much value is lost
by delay. The Swaney Fire Salvage Sale was 80 acres in size.
The point is that there is basically no end to the salvageable dead standing
and down timber that is going to rot. The down trees can be cut up for firewood
but cannot be sold and sent to the sawmill. The Forest Service is unable to
expedite the sale of saw timber.
The first working day following the Boston Tree Party, a tree cookie approx.
4" thick and 40" in diameter with a poster was placed by the flag pole
at the Flathead Forest Supervisor's Office in Kalispell, MT. Facts detailed by
the poster were: The one tree from which the "Cookie" was cut
contained: 3,150 Board Feet, Approx. & cord of firewood, or ~30.00 in
revenue to the Forest Service, or $400.00 in revenue to the Forest Service if
taken to a sawmill. Approx. $100.00 to the 25% Fund to Flathead County. All
costs to get the log to the mill door would be approx. $1,200.00. It would take
an Economist to figure the values from products derived from this one log if
manufactured into lumber and residual products. It would include continuous jobs
and tax revenues in addition to valuable products derived from a "renewable
natural resource" that will eventually rot or go up in smoke in a wildfire
if not utilized.
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