Land sale in forest is off, Keller says (Ocala National Forest, FL)

[seafan]

Land sale in forest is off, Keller says

By Nin-Hai Tseng
May 10, 2006

A Bush administration proposal to sell almost 1,000 acres in the Ocala National Forest is dead, according to U.S. Rep. Ric Keller and environmentalists who blasted the idea as a shortsighted solution to raise money for rural counties.

Keller, R-Orlando, and other critics Tuesday applauded a House subcommittee's decision not to include in a 2006-07 spending bill a plan to sell thousands of acres in national forests. The land sales would generate up to $800 million to help pay for roads and schools in rural areas including Lake and Marion counties.
"It effectively kills the sale of the Ocala National Forest," Keller said. "I think it's a dangerous precedent to sell off national forest lands whenever there's a funding shortfall."

Despite Keller's glee, a U.S. Forest Service official said the proposal is still alive. Forest Service officials have said the 300,000 acres targeted in 35 states are remote and hard to maintain, representing only a sliver of 193 million acres of national forests.

snip

Keller, who represents much of the forest, has been an outspoken foe of the land sales that the Forest Service says are necessary because timber sales that have been used to subsidize rural schools have fallen dramatically.
The congressman said the forest is irreplaceable, and any sale would be "environmentally reckless and financially shortsighted."

The forest is home to the Florida black bear, which the state considers a threatened species. It is also a popular recreation spot for hunters, campers and canoeists.

snip

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-forest1006may10,0,3915088.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state

[wordpix]

1. a repub is standing up to * & national forest sales? Thanks, Rep Keller!

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Oh, yeah, oh yeah. More cabbage patch dancing.

I bet the National Forests in blue states are the ones that are threatened.

[LostinVA]

3. The ONE good thing Jesse Helm did

Was make the site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in Greensboro into a National Park. It's beautiful -- with walking/running/trails all through it... although, I've heard since moving that some land HAS been sold off FOR HOUSES! ARRGGHH!

[Not Me]

7. Don't be so quick to send kudos to Keller

He was inundated with letters and emails AGAINST. He's simply leveraging whatever he can to stay afloat in November. He is a major repub tool.

[wordpix]

9. OK then, thanks to the people of Florida for keeping this tool boxed in

[rodeodance]

4. I would like to think all our singatures played a role also!

[seafan]

5. The hidden nugget in this story is

Keller, R-Orlando, and other critics Tuesday applauded a House subcommittee's decision not to include in a 2006-07 spending bill a plan to sell thousands of acres in national forests.

Sounds like all national forests are covered under this reversal.

And this:

"There are many steps left in the legislative process, and clearly there's much work ahead," said spokesman Dan Jiron, noting the proposal also must be considered by several other committees.

But Charles Lee, senior vice president of Audubon of Florida, said he doubts the plan will move forward.

"If it takes 16 nails to nail the coffin shut, this is probably number 14," said Lee, who had worried parts of the Ocala forest would fall into the hands of private developers wanting to build vacation homes along some of its lakes.

I hope that people all over the country will contact their Congress members to voice their opinions over the Bush Administration's desire to sell off parts of our irreplaceable national forests.

We the people will be the last two nails in this coffin.

[Lochloosa]

6. Here is the problem with these idiots....

Despite Keller's glee, a U.S. Forest Service official said the proposal is still alive. Forest Service officials have said the 300,000 acres targeted in 35 states are remote and hard to maintain, representing only a sliver of 193 million acres of national forests.


Hard to maintain! It's a fucking forest. It has "maintained" itself long before you got here asshole!

Leave my forest alone! Everything else in Florida is being destroyed at an incredible rate. Let me have one part of it untouched.

[wordpix]

8. I've always maintained the BushCo plan is to sell off these lands to pay

back the creditors. With a $9 trillion debt and climbing to $10 trillion, BushCo is no doubt offering these lands and fed buildings as collateral to keep his illegal war going

[Dudley_DUright]

10. There are some gorgeous spring runs in the Ocala forest

Hands off, you rapacious bastards! :mad:

[seafan]

11. Juniper Springs and Alexander Springs are wonderful. Do you have

some faves?

[Dudley_DUright]

12. I have been on both and have seen some amazing wildlife

on both. I once saw a whole family of FL deer (little midgets to my Wisconsin breed eyes) come down to the water to drink as we glided by in our canoe.