After Closed-Door Deal, Plum Creek To Unveil Huge Subdivision Plan For Montana Forests

[hatrack]

MISSOULA, Mont. - The Bush administration is preparing to ease the way for the nation's largest private landowner to convert hundreds of thousands of acres of mountain forestland to residential subdivisions. The deal was struck behind closed doors between Mark Rey, the former timber lobbyist who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, and Plum Creek Timber, a former logging company turned real estate investment trust that is building homes.

Plum Creek owns more than 8 million acres nationwide, including 1.2 million acres in the mountains of western Montana, where local officials were stunned and outraged at the deal.

"We have 40 years of Forest Service history that has been reversed in the last three months," said Pat O'Herren, an official in Missoula County, which is threatening to sue the Forest Service for forgoing environmental assessments and other procedures that would have given the public a voice in the matter.

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"Now that Plum Creek is getting out of the timber business, we're kind of missing the loggers," said Ray Rasker, executive director of Headwaters Economics, a non-profit that studies land management in the West. "A clear-cut will grow back, but a subdivision of trophy homes, that's going to be that way forever."

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http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_9800266?source=rss

[grasswire]

1. does Carlyle have a share in Plum Creek?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[grassfed]

2. k&r

tragic

[sui generis]

3. why are they threatening? the lawsuit should already be filed.

They need to show that the appearance of impropriety exists just from the titles and relationships alone.

Were there any recusals in the negotiations? How do they justify closed door proceedings on public land? What are they hiding?

That lawsuit could effectively tie up the deal forever since the deal seems to have excluded other valid public interests from participating in the due diligence and negotiations.

[peacetalksforall]

4. Trophy homes? - That's a big clue - those in disgrace are not going to Paraquay -

they are going to hang out in Montana with Blackwater at the borders and in the air for protection. Hang out until they complete their plan for their next takeover the world plan. Any less superior land will be given to Blackwater for their training camps.

Think like they think. Montans - you're IT!

[drexel dave]

5. James Howard Kuntsler is going to be the proprerty manager

NOT!

[NNadir]

6. If I were Obama, I'd keep mentioning things like this in debates with McSame.

[intheflow]

7. Who is supposed to buy these subdivision homes?

Missoula has about 95,000 residents with median household incomes of about $44K. By comparison, Denver has about 240,000 residents with a median household income of over $48K. But the housing industry is collapsing here and a lot of people are being foreclosed on. I haven't seen a McMansion sell since I've been back here the past year. So, really, who is supposed to be buying these homes? Will they all be vacation homes? If these were real business people, they'd take less space in town to create affordable housing. It wouldn't be as glamorous, or as profitable in the short term, but it'd be more reliable revenue stream, and not speculation so it would be a safer long-term investment. I just don't know how these people have the gall to call themselves conservative any more. x(

[mainegreen]

8. Montanans need to fight, fight, fight this.

Plum Creek are backstabbing crooks who care nothing about the land and communities they want to destroy for profit.