Page 22 - Flathead Beacon // 6.11.14

22 | JUNE 11, 2014
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

OPINION

TOP 10

LETTERS
certainly hope the Washingtonians who You may hear it said that the land
demonize our coal don’t expect us to should be “given back” to the states, but
ONLINE STORIES
blight our landscape with wind farms to that land never belonged to the states in
supply your energy needs.
the irst place. What is now Montana east
And how about those high-tech of the Divide was the property, fee simple,
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
minerals needed to build solar panels and of the United States of America by right of
ON ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, the complex electronics in the directional purchase from France in 1703. West of the
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH control equipment? We better analyze Divide it became America’s through the
FOR
2014 Final Primary the cumulative impacts of where in South 1846 Oregon Treaty with Great Britain.
A recent decision by the Washington Election Results
America that stuf comes from, and how When we gained statehood, the U.S.
State Department of Ecology to study the
Glacier Park it is smelted, and how it is transported distributed some of that land to Montana,
cumulative impacts of a new deep-water Prepares for Busy to the U.S. If it contributes to climate much of it dedicated to the support
port facility as part of the permitting change, the public has a right to know, of educational institutions, the rest
process was hailed by some activists as Summer
and it should be the basis for denying a remained in federal hands to be disposed
a landmark victory. Indeed, the decision solar project (especially if it’s proposed of as Congress sees it.
may prove to be a monumental precedent Farewell to in Montana and the electricity is headed But, still, it can gall. All that land
if the decision stands.
the ‘Mayor of Big west).
within our reach but beyond our
The agency apparently intends to
not only analyze the potential impact Mountain’
So where does the nonsense end? management. We resent the fact that the
The availability of non-resident ishing other 317 million Americans (the other
of developing the port facility itself, but Zinke Wins permits induces people to drive gas 99.61 percent of the nation) have a say
to analyze the associated coal mining Montana GOP U.S. guzzling SUVs or ly private jets to in telling us what to do on it. We look at
operations, expanded rail transportation House Primary
Montana. We should probably analyze today’s unemployment igures and resent
and the environmental impacts of those cumulative impacts in a full-blown that billions of board feet of timber cannot
burning the coal in overseas power plants.
Voting Underway for EIS before next year’s ishing season. be harvested to create jobs and make life
Policy makers in Washington State Think of the fossil fuel that could be saved better for us, like the old days.
obviously want to make it virtually 2014 Primary Elections
by not inviting people to come to Montana But those old days weren’t all milk
impossible to mine coal in Montana and The Forgotten Flood
for a ishing trip.
and honey. The earliest unemployment
transport it to export facilities, bound for Once the precedent is set, the records by county that are available
power plants in China, India or Korea.
Comic Book Store environmental knife can cut both ways. go back only to 1990, (and I thank
Some environmental activists are Opens in Kalispell
And it could paralyze the economy if the Montana Census and Economic
ecstatic. This is the Holy Grail – the taken to extremes.
Information Center for inding them for
brass ring – the coup de grace. With Familiar Endings, Bottom line: as a nation and as a me). In the three counties in Northwest
this precedent, they could blast the
environmental review process into New Beginnings
region, let’s get behind responsible, Montanawhoseeconomieswerealmost
common sense energy development exclusively timber based, the 1990
ininite space – an orbiting satellite with Lincoln County that fosters a healthier global economy. unemployment rates were: Lincoln, 12.4:
no return light path. But, as the old adage Oicials Express More prosperous countries will have the Sanders, 11.2; and Mineral, 8.9. Keep in
goes, “be careful what you ask for.”
Frustration with capacity and the political will to invest in mind this was during some of the peak
Wind energy has shown great environmental protection measures that timber production years on the Kootenai
promise and attracted signiicant capital Schweitzer Over are beyond their reach today.
and Lolo national forests.
investment in parts of Washington Montanore
Wages in the mills were attractive,
and Montana. But for some reason,
the environmental impact studies of FWP Proposes Cary Hegreberg, executive director it is true, but they were made attractive
Seasonal Closure Montana Contractors’ Association
through the collective bargaining eforts
proposed wind farms did not accurately of labor unions, and it begs asking if the
predict the efects massive rotor blades for Motor Boats on OWNERSHIP OF AMERICA’S proponents of this deal support collective
traveling at high rates of speed would Whiteish River
LANDS BELONGS JUST WHERE bargaining?
have on eagles and other raptors. IT IS
Why is this radical issue even before
Consequently, a few environmental When you have hunted, hiked, us? It is a cause in search of an acceptable
groups are now questioning the wisdom worked and snowmobiled – you name rationale, which in this case is economic
of whacking eagles from the sky to save a it – on Forest Service land for decades,
development. The true rationale inds LETTERS
few tons of coal.
you can begin to feel as if you had an its roots in those radical, anti-any- Tell us what you think. To submit a letter, please e-mail your submission
The next time a so-called “green entitlement to that land. Call it the right kind-of-government organizations and to [email protected]. Please
energy” project is enthusiastically of possession by proximity and use; but individuals who would prefer anarchy to keep your letter to 300 words or less.
proposed to supply electricity for the because no one knows that land like we democracy, the people who brought us The Flathead Beacon reserves the right
Prius and Tesla cars in Seattle, what’s to do, or uses it like we do, we feel we should the “blueprint for secession” of the 2011 to edit letters for length, clarity and
stop Friends of the Eagle from demanding have a say in how it’s managed.
Legislature.
to prevent libel. Letters must include
a cumulative impact study?
Some people think Montana should the writer’s irst and last name, phone
A new wind farm requires tons of have the ownership, as well, and that’s The issue of who owns the land number and address for veriication
was settled at statehood. Pursuing the purposes. Only the name and hometown
copper for the generators, miles of new going too far.
topic legislatively is a futile exercise and of the writer will be printed. To mail a
aluminum electrical transmission lines, First of all, when Montana was a waste of time and money. There are letter, please send to 17 Main Street,
hundreds of tons of concrete, and lots of granted statehood in 1889, we agreed to better, faster, and even realistic ways Kalispell, MT 59901.
steel for the towers. Where will the copper, the terms of the Enabling Act passed by to create jobs, and the irst of these is to Fax letters to (406) 257-9231.
bauxite ore, iron ore, gravel and limestone Congress creating Montana, Washington stop ighting with the federal government
be mined – and how will that increased and the Dakotas:
over fractious, insoluble issues so that CORRECTIONS
production threaten sensitive, pristine “That the people inhabiting said If a Beacon story includes a factual
businesses – which value stability – won’t error, please tell us about it. Call
environments somewhere in the world? proposed states do agree and declare that be afraid to come here with their jobs.
Kellyn Brown at 257-9220; or e-mail to
How will the electricity be generated to they forever disclaim all right and title [email protected]; or fax to
turn bauxite ore into aluminum?
to the unappropriated public lands lying Jim Elliott, former state senator 257-9231.
What about the steel for the towers – within the boundaries thereof.”.
Trout Creek
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
might “dirty coal” be used in the foundry In a state where a handshake is as For daily news, local community pages,
that produced it? Those icky cement good as a contract, we need to remember video, multimedia, story archives and
kilns that produce the key ingredient what we agreed to, and that that lively online conversation, visit our Web
for concrete –will they burn used tires agreement is incorporated in Article I site at latheadbeacon.com.

somewhere in the world?. Wind farms of the Montana Constitution: “Compact
cause climate change. We in Montana
with the United States.”