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Questions for Mr. Bull, Bitterroot Forest Supervisor
NOTE: The following letters were sent to Dave Bull, Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor. To date, the Native Forest Network has received no response from Mr. Bull. You can write Mr. Bull an email at dbull@fs.fed.us.
April 4, 2006
Supervisor Dave Bull
Bitterroot National Forest
dbull@fs.fed.us
1801 N. First St.
Hamilton, MT 59840
Dear Supervisor Bull:
At yesterday's meeting in Sula I was speaking with the Bitterroot National Forest's wildlife biologist about the Middle East Fork project.
I asked him what activities would be taking place within the Middle East Fork HFRA project area during hunting season. As someone who has hunted the East Fork – and noticed for the past few years just how many big game hunters use the area – I was interested to know how big game, hunting and lots of hunters, would mix with logging activities up the East Fork of the Bitterroot.
I was told that during the hunting season the timber sale contract would stipulate that the contractor will not be allowed to work during the weekends and on holidays.
However, I was also told that during the week (ie Monday through Friday) hunters up the East Fork of the Bitterroot would have to contend with chainsaws, log trucks, logging equipment and helicopters throughout the Middle East Fork project area.
I was also informed that under certain circumstances public Bitterroot National Forest lands up the East Fork of the Bitterroot may be closed to the public – including hunters – due to helicopters hauling large trees from deep within the forest to landing pads.
Given that project implementation is expected to last two to three years – and given the scope and scale of the project – it's occurring to me that implementation of the Middle East Fork project will essentially drastically reduce big game hunting opportunities – and the big game hunting experience – up the East Fork of the Bitterroot River for the next two to three hunting seasons. Of course, this is to say nothing of the fact that your project calls for logging within some of the best remaining big game habitat for elk, bighorn sheep and mule deer found up the East Fork.
My question is this: Have you informed hunters, the public or Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks about the impacts the Middle East Fork project will have on big game hunting opportunities – and the big game hunting experience – up the East Fork of the Bitterroot River for the next two to three hunting seasons? If not, may I ask why?
I look forward to your response, in addition to your response to the questions I sent you on March 31 and April 3, 2006, which have been pasted below for your convenience and recollection.
Sincerely,
Matthew Koehler
Director, Native Forest Network
P.O. Box 8251
Missoula, MT 59807
406.542.7343
koehler@wildrockies.org
www.nativeforest.org
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April 3, 2006
Supervisor Dave Bull
Bitterroot National Forest
1801 N. First St.
Hamilton, MT 59840
Dear Supervisor Bull:
We are currently going through the Middle East Fork Record of Decision and I had one additional question for you regarding the project and your decision.
If we go through the Middle East Fork Record of Decision and project analysis and we believe that the decision you have made for this project violates the law what would you like us to do?
I've heard you and your staff saying that you hope nobody files a lawsuit. However, if while going through the Middle East Fork Record of Decision we discover that the decision you have made for this project violates the law, certainly you can't be saying that you want the public to allow the U.S. Government to knowingly break the laws of this country.
If you made a decision to implement an illegal project, that's not our fault, and you and the U.S. Forest Service should certainly be held accountable. We tried for the past 18-months to work with you and your staff to implement a common sense community fuel reduction project up the East Fork.
Again, we are currently going through the Middle East Fork Record of Decision. If we go through the Middle East Fork Record of Decision and project analysis and we believe that the decision you have made for this project violates the laws of the United States what would you like us to do?
I look forward to your response, in addition to your responses to the questions I sent you on March 31, 2006.
Sincerely,
Matthew Koehler
Director, Native Forest Network
P.O. Box 8251
Missoula, MT 59807
406.542.7343
koehler@wildrockies.org
www.nativeforest.org
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March 31, 2006
Supervisor Dave Bull
Bitterroot National Forest
1801 N. First St.
Hamilton, MT 59840
Dear Supervisor Bull:
I'm writing today to inquire as to why you have decided to give the public next to zero advanced notice for the public open house that the Bitterroot National Forest is hosting at the Sula Clubhouse on Monday, April 3rd from 3 to 7 pm? According to your press release, the purpose of the public open house is to discuss the decision regarding the Middle East Fork HFRA project and your plans for implementation of that project.
Apparently what you have decided to do is provide the general public with notice on Friday (via articles in the Missoulian and Ravalli Republic) for a public meeting to be held on Monday. And what about people who don't get the Missoulian or Ravalli Republic? At a minimum, your decision to essentially give the public no notice for this public open house certainly does not give the impression that the Bitterroot National Forest has put forth a good faith effort to inform as many interested people as possible about your public open house.
I'm sure you can understand that members of the public are very busy with their work lives and commitments to family. In my view, the least you could do to respect the work and family commitments that everyone in the general public have is to provide reasonable notice to the public about public meetings that the Bitterroot National Forest will be holding.
Clearly providing the general public in the Bitterroot and Missoula Valley's with notice on Friday of a public open house the very next Monday doesn't provide the public with reasonable notice, doesn't respect the public's work and family commitments and doesn't give the impression that the Bitterroot National Forest is putting forth a good faith effort to inform as many interested people as possible about your public open house.
One other issue I'd like to raise, and would appreciate a response to, is why numerous Bitterroot National Forest officials were telling the public that the decision for the Middle East Fork HFRA project would be released in mid-April, but then it was released on March 30?
For example, on Tuesday, March 28 at the Ravalli County Resource Advisory Committee meeting, Sula District Ranger Tracy Hollingshead briefed the RAC about the Middle East Fork project and said the decision would be out in mid-April. You were sitting in attendance at that meeting and I can only assume that on Tuesday, March 28 you and Ranger Hollingshead knew full well that the decision was being release on Thursday, March 30 – about 36 hours later. Yet, you apparently decided to intentionally tell the Ravalli Country RAC and members of the public false information. I respectfully request an explanation why.
Furthermore, last week you told Jeff Juel with the Ecology Center that no decision had been made and that the MEF decision was to be released in mid-April. Project Team Leader Sandy Mack wrote me an email on March 19 stating also that no decision had been made and that the ROD was to be released in mid-April. Again, why are you and some of your employees – as public employees – intentionally deceiving the public? Can you see how such instances – especially when placed in the context of a long list of similar activities regarding this project, forest plan revisions and the Bitterroot Burned Area Recovery Plan, to name a few – erodes the public's trust in the Forest Service?
Again, I respectfully request an explanation to my two main questions. First, why did you decide to give the public next to zero advanced notice for the public open house that the Bitterroot National Forest is hosting at the Sula Clubhouse on Monday, April 3 regarding the Middle East Fork HFRA project and your plans for implementation of that project? Second, why Ranger Hollingshead and yourself apparently decided to intentionally tell the Ravalli Country RAC and members of the public false information regarding the release of the Middle East Fork decision.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Matthew Koehler
Director, Native Forest Network
P.O. Box 8251
Missoula, MT 59807
406.542.7343
koehler@wildrockies.org
www.nativeforest.org
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