Two Timber Measures Survive the Senate (complete article from source)
Source: Missoulian State Bureau, by Mike Dennison
April 16, 2009
HELENA- Two measures designed to help Montana's struggling timber industry survived a Senate vote Wednesday, putting them close to final passage- although one made it without a single vote to spare.
The close shave came on House Bill 674, which authorizes the state to issue $21 million in bonds to finance state purchase of 26,000 acres of former Plum Creek Timber Co. timberlands near Potomac in Missoula County.
Because the bill creates state debt, it needs approval by tho-thirds of the 50-member Senate, or 34 votes.
It received exactly 34 votes, setting up a final binding vote on Thursday. Sixteen Republican senators voted against HB674.
Rep. Chas Vincent, R-Libby, the sponsor of both bills, said afterward he's hopeful he can convince a few more senators to support the measure on the final vote.
HB674 had been moving through the Legislature along with House bill 669, which creates a $7.5 million revolving loan fund to assist small timber mills and other timber businesses.
Vincent and the bill's chief co-sponsor, Rep. Hill Cohenour, D-East Helena, have said the two pieces of legislation can work together to help sustain Montana's timber industry, which is struggling to survive.
HB674 would transfer ownership of the 26,000 acres of former Plum Creek timberlands to the state, which would manage them as state forest, for logging and recreation.
The purchase is part of the Legacy Project, which is taking 310,000 acres of Plum Creek timberland in western Montana and transferring it primarily to public and nonprofit ownership. The goal is to preserve the land for timber management and public access for recreation, such as hunting and hiking.
As part of the project, the state plans to take control of about 100,000 acres, including the 26,000 acres authorized for purchase by HB674. The latter acreage is primarily east of Missoula between the town of Potomac and Interstate 90.
The state Senate on Wednesday easily endorsed the loan-fund bill, but HB674 faced opposition by senators who questioned why the state needs to control more land.
"How much more land do we have to have?" said Sen. John Brenden, R-Scobey. "To bail out one company on 300,000-some acres of land? Pretty soon we won't have any private land left in the state."
Sen. Jeff Essmann, R-Bilings, noted that the bill requires the state to offset the purchase of forestland by selling state lands elsewhere in Montana. That "elsewhere" is likely to be in eastern Montana, he said.
"At my end of the state access to public lands is getting increasingly limited," Essmann said. "The no-net-gain (of state land) provision in this bill is going to result in the sale of lands in my part of the state, that are very valued by sportsmen and recreaters."
Supporters, however, said the 26,000-acre purchase is a great opportunity for the state to create productive timberland that can help keep struggling mills open.
"Those of you who suport the timber idustry can't turn you back on this bill, because (it and HB669) go together," said Senate Minority Leader Carol Williams, D-Missoula. "We can't have a healthy timber industry in this state and protect our mills if we don't have the timber."
Supporters also said most state land sold to offest the 26,000-acre purchase would be "nominated" for sale by adjoining landowners, who often already control the access, and that 26,000 acres is only one square mile in each of 41 counties.
"I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill here," said Sen. Kelly Gebhardt, R-Roundup.
Click here for complete article from Missoulian State Bureau
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