Commissioner Cam Parry traveled to Washington, DC last week along with Coquille tribal representatives, according to an email, “speaking to representative & senate staff (along with resource foks) about the concept of joint management of 51,000 acres of Wagon Road land with the Coquille Tribe. I have also been speaking to DC staffers about the status of SRS renewal.” As recently as August 16 during a regular commission meeting all three Coos County commissioners claimed to be undecided about whether to proceed with efforts to transfer management of federal lands to the tribe.
Commissioner Main has argued in favor of the transfer claiming that the county needs money and the tribe has offered to give 50% of the revenues from cutting to the county. Main says, “50% of something is better than 50% of nothing.”
Not everyone believes it is in the best interests of the public to transfer these lands into private hands and Francis Eatherington of Cascadia Wildlands speaks about the O&C lands, the CBWR and the coastal rainforest threatened by these types of transfers of public wealth into private hands.
In David Bollier’s Silent Theft: The Private Plunder of Our Common Wealth
1. Appropriation. These are enclosures in which the public holds clear property rights in a resource, but the government, acting as a trustee for the public, cedes the asset (or use rights) to private interests at below-market prices or for free. This is a recurrent pattern in the governments stewardship of public lands…
We have certainly seen “below-market prices” in the Elliott State Forest and there is no expectation that this transfer of federal lands will benefit the public on equal terms to the private hands, in this case the Coquille Tribe, with respect to either profit or future value.
Main “acts” as if he not certain that the FEDS, on the recommendation of the BOC, should transfer the title to the CBWR to the County AND Coquille Indian Tribe in the mistaken view that this would be better than just the County, were these lands transferred, managing this Timber- many of us already “understand” that this is just Bob Main’s sneaky way of not having to claim responsibility if a tranferral goes through.. We know he is pushing this. WHO does he want to benefit?
!. County owner ship benefits EVERYONE, including Tribal members who reside in this County.
2. The County Forestry Department is much more experienced than the Coquille or any other Tribe in sustainably maintaining Coos Forests and have proven it for over 100 years. The Tribe has only been in the timber business since Senator Hatfield got the 5,000+ acres given to them Let’s also consider that the County Forestry Department knows how to deal with State and Federal Regulations to continue the harvest for everyone. The Tribe intimated in at least one meeting that they wouldn’t have to follow the sustainable idea and other practices REQUIRED of government entities.
3. It is just plain wrong to use PUBLIC resources tho benefit a Special Interest Group!
Good Report! Keep that information flowing! I suggest that anyone who feels the same makes certain to contact our Federal Representatives regarding your opinion on this issue. i know 85 % did in 1994 loud and clear.
Very informative, the difference in logging practices. Thanks Ladies.