Subject: possible demise of Little Pend Oreille NWR
Date: Apr 18 09:19:00 1996
From: "M. Smith" - whimbrel at u.washington.edu



Hi all. I realize that rumors are nasty and can get out of hand. But
second-hand info I heard from a reliable source (and that person heard it
out of the mouth of a USFWS employee) of this importance should be passed
on. Please keep in mind that this is not a decision yet and no actions
are being taken.

Basically, the USFWS is finding that they have more refuges than they can
manage. There is a possibility that they will sell off the Little Pend
Oreille NWR to a *timber company*. Or negotiate a land swap with a timber
company for something else. Or negotiate a land swap with USFS. I don't
know if you've been up to the Little Pend Oreille or not, but it is
FANTASTIC. Douglas-fir forest interspersed with meadows and ponds. If
you haven't been, I suggest you go (before it's clearcut!). It's in
Stevens Co. The timber companies undoubtedly see dollar signs associated
with all those nice trees. I doubt that the USFWS would get a good 'land
swap', but who knows? Maybe they could. Anyway, this refuge, at about
40,000 acres is the largest in the state, and the newest, it was formerly
state WRA land. The USFWS is reverting to their system of 'duck' refuges
by selling off this area. This is surely a limited view of wildlife
management in Washington.

The reason I write is this: I'm moving to San Diego this fall. Very few
people know that this trade/sale is even being considered. If it starts
happening, it will be after I'm gone. So other folks will have to take
action to keep it from happening, and these things often happen in
secrecey, despite requirements for public hearings, etc. So file this in
your memory, and keep an eye out for related reports in the future to take
appropriate actions.

-------------
Michael R. Smith
Univ. of Washington, Seattle
whimbrel at u.washington.edu
http://salmo.cqs.washington.edu/~wagap/mike.html