While I am working from home (cough) today, I ran across the Wild Olympics Campaign website and read through it.
It looks like the high level proposal is to buy land designated for timber harvest on federal land and re-designate it as wild and scenic, incorporating protection and increasing hunting and fishing access on what were once closed lands in the process.
It also appears to not be taxpayer funded, which I like. The money would come from the Land and Water conservation fund, which is not funded by tax dollars or any money fom the treasury. It is funded by royalties from oil companies who drill in US waters off the coast.

Seems like a Win/Win. Thoughts?

http://www.wildolympics.org/

I like it.

They emailed me this today...



"The Olympic Peninsula and the Wild Olympics received some fantastic news yesterday!

Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Norm Dicks announced a draft proposal that would protect new Wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Preserve designations. They also announced they would hold four public meetings to get feedback on their draft proposal in early December.

In their announcement both the Senator and Congressman expressed their commitment to protecting wild forests and rivers on the Olympic Peninsula:

Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA03)
"I am pleased to work with Senator Murray in developing a consensus plan to provide additional wilderness protection on the Olympic Peninsula. Future generations will benefit from the increased protection of the watersheds and forests that make the Peninsula such a magnificent place."

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
"Washington residents take great pride in protecting our state's tremendous natural beauty. I will continue to work with the community as we work to preserve our state's special places while promoting our long-term economic growth and prosperity."

While the draft congressional proposal does not include everything the Wild Olympics Campaign had advocated for over the past two years, it would provide permanent protection for the Peninsula's most priceless natural treasures; our towering ancient forests, free-flowing rivers, critical fish and wildlife habitat and our clean water. The Campaign views Congressman Dicks' and Senator Murray's draft plan as an historic milestone in Peninsula conservation. This a wonderful down payment on the Peninsula's economic future, and a gift for generations to come.

Thanks you for your past support for the Wild Olympics Campaign, we could not have gotten this far with you. This is a very exciting time, and we will need lots of help from you over the next several weeks, so please stay tuned for updates and calls to action on e-mail and through our web site at www.wildolympics.org."

Pretty cool!

I've been getting, that, too...

Out on the OP are a ton of "Wild Olympics $90 Million Land Grab!" signs all over...how is it a land grab if they're buying it?

Fish on...

Todd

Buying it before someone else does...

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
"Washington residents take great pride in protecting our state's tremendous natural beauty. I will continue to work with the community as we work to preserve our state's special places while promoting our long-term economic growth and prosperity."

-Every time I hear this lady speak about fish there is always some remark about the economy as well. Really pisses me off. What's good for the economy is not necessarily great for the fish, if she took a neutral stance on this issue and said "to protect fish" without talking about the economic benefit in the same sentence she might be headed somewhere, up until that time "She pisses me off".
I think it's a good bill as long as they leave the shitpoor economy out of it.

I guess I'd call that a "sale" rather than a "land grab"...

Fish on...

Todd

Land Grab = We won't be able to cut down the trees.

Yeah, lots of anti Wild Olympic signs on the coast. I wondered what it is about and figured the opposition is opposed to leaving any trees standing.

Sg

+100

My suspicion is that "land grab" is a totally bogus denomination...but that "I'd like to be payed to cut down those trees" is what they really mean...understandable, but I'll take buying the land outright and leaving the trees right there where they are.

Fish on...

Todd

As sad as it may sound i'd like to cut down the logers.

Its the same reason you city folk bitch and moan about everytime a corporation has to lay off a bulk amount of people. The motto going around out this way is working forest=working families.

I like it...backwoods PA boy chiming in!

I do appreciate that there are likely people who work in those woods who won't now, and that is gonna be rough since there aren't much in the way of jobs out there. I don't know how many there are, or what kind of jobs will go away, but I'm curious.

But...calling it a "land grab" is bull$hit...they're buying it, with real money...it's the same "property rights" that they are usually trumpeting in those areas. Don't like how the new owners might want to use their land? Buy it yourself.

It's what they've been telling environmnentalists for decades...and now they are doing it, so now they're going to change their tune?

Fish on...

Todd

RMEF did and still does this very thing. They have lost a lot of members becasue they have closed access to hunting on some parcels. You really have to dig into who is pushing these programs to see what their real intent is.

The first time I was on the OP I was shocked at the amount of logging going on. I guess I was expecting some pristine rain forest experience.
I'm a sliver picker and I do need wood...it's got to come from somewhere and the OP is prime climate for growing Doug Fir.
Torn on that one.

If this current group is similar to The Nature Conservancy it would be a good thing. The NC has done well in my haunts.

Its the same reason you city folk bitch and moan about everytime a corporation has to lay off a bulk amount of people. The motto going around out this way is working forest=working families.

I hate to dissapoint you but your whole industry popped up overnight. It's not like the forest howls every night begging to go to work in the morning. Eventually you will have to find another industry to get into because people like me won't put up with yourshit. What the hellis a motto? I bet you really know how to go with the flow don't ya? Hippie.

I think it was the way it was cut right down to the fog line.
I hadn't seen that in a while. Down south here they seem to leave a PR buffer.
Yeah I know, it's farming and from time to time it gets plowed under.


Just be smart about it and don't muddy my river.

who they buying the land from? it is already national forest. where is the money going to end up. next step to adding it to the park. also schools get money from logging in the national forest.

No reason why we cant have both logging and clean streams with fish.
Use common sense, leave a buffer (big buffer) around streams.
I have no hate for loggers. they work hard and feed their families just like the rest of us.
yes i have been real made at some of the bad logging practice's here.
Dear Creek was a crimminal deal. but that decision was made by the state and logging companies, not the loggers them selves.
and if you want to talk about bad land use, then look to some of the state regs that say you can build your house right next to a river and cut down all the trees in doing so.
we need loggers and logging. unless of course you want to build your house out of concrete.