As Sen. Tester's bill, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, receives more and more attention - even amidst our national health care crisis - I am increasingly impressed. In a recent Independent Record article, Senator Tester articulated why Montana needs such a bill.
Much of what we treasure in Montana is at stake. Just one look at the brown trees between Helena and Butte tells us that massive wildfires threaten our communities. Driving down the main streets of Deer Lodge or Townsend tells us that Montana's timber towns have seen better times.
Senator Tester's forest bill works to solve these issues through stewardship logging contracts that will complete restoration projects like thinning for beetle kill and wildfire threat. These projects will provide fiber that our local mills need to survive.
The bill may not be perfect according to some, and no one group gets everything it wants. But it offers a lot to many constituencies. This is true collaboration, the first real solution Montana has seen to its forest management problems in a long time. What will our forests look like if we sit waiting in gridlock for another 25 years? What will our rural communities look like?
Senator Tester recognized the need for something to be done on our forests, and I applaud him for taking a collaborative approach.
Dr. O. Alan Weltzien
510 S. Dakota
Dillon, MT 59725