Took sometime earlier today and pulled up the USFS Natl. forests that I'm familiar with on the Westside of the Cascades in both Or. & Wa. looking at the timber sales and bid price breakdowns.
It sure isn't like it was 30 years ago regarding the number of sales and the bids accepted are very high versus market price available.
For those that aren't aware, I know that you are Ringman, that Fed. timber can't be exported, unless things have changed in the last number of years, it can be manufactured into a finished product and then exported.
The higher market is for export logs. I noticed that on some sales, no bids were submitted or accepted, I figure probably due to cost of logging versus return at the mill, along with the USFS wanting a higher bid.
I can really see how this loss of timber sales revenue has really hurt some timber dependant counties in WA. state that I'm familiar with, this from slow Fed. timber sales.
to attempt to make sense of things now, even in one agency would likely cause one to pull their hair out if taken seriously enough.
besides the various brands or flavors of recreationists, there's the loggers, sawmills, small towns, endangered species, bureaucratic turf wars, and changing social values. self-interest runs amuck with our federal lands of all brands and persuasions. truly, they all belong to the people, but that don't mean much unless you choose to purchase the correct permit.
i sense a lot of responsible bureaucrats in those various agencies feel they are under attack from nearly everyone, in and out of gov't.
and, btw, let's don't leave out the BLM, and the Fish & Wildlife Service. they together control vast acreages of land. it's not just a FS or NPS dance.
meanwhile, back in the mega-cities, we have a vastly under re-created populance. outdoor recreation inspires. Recreation, tmbr production, water resources, and wildlife resources, all can be managed with sufficient negotiation. when failures can occur, it might include mining, drilling, and and related processing? i don't know, but i'll bet you every single citizen, with proper id, has an opinion.
