local weather Click for Sun Valley, Idaho Forecast
 front page
 classifieds
 calendar
 last week
 recreation
 subscriptions
 express jobs
 about us
 advertising info

 sun valley guide
 real estate guide
 homefinder
 sv catalogs
 

 

 hemingway

Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
208.726.8060 Voice
208.726.2329 Fax

Copyright © 2002 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 


For the week of Aug 28 - Sept 3, 2002

Editorials

Poor excuse


During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government became famous for arguing that in some cases a village had to be destroyed in order to save it.

The argument is being offered up again on behalf of the nation’s national forests.

A century of active fire suppression left Western forests with unprecedented fuel loads. Extreme drought conditions this year produced monster forest fires that forced evacuation of communities and destroyed homes. Arizona, Colorado and Oregon were hit hard.

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management budgets have been battered by fire-fighting costs.

What to do?

A Clinton-era fire-prevention plan called for thinning underbrush, dead trees and thick stands while leaving the largest most fire-resistant and productive trees. Western governors and conservationists supported the plan.

But President George Bush and Idaho Sen. Larry Craig have a better idea: Blame fires on environmentalists, knock down environmental protections and let logging begin unhampered by protests or delays.

Translation: We have to destroy the forest in order to save it.

The rationale was ludicrous 30 years ago and is ludicrous now. It’s a poor excuse to re-open what’s left of Western forests to indiscriminate destruction.

 

Homefinder

Mountain Jobs

Formula Sports

Idaho Conservation League

Westridge

Windermere

Edmark GM Superstore : Nampa, Idaho

Premier Resorts Sun Valley

High Country Property Rentals


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.