There are several bills being drafted in advance of the 2015 legislative session that would increase speed limits on Montana’s highways.

The bills haven’t been drafted yet, so it’s impossible to say yea or nay with absolute certainty, but the sheer size of Montana means an increase in speed limits (if done responsibly) would be a welcome change.

A lot of us fondly recall the years when Montana didn’t have a speed limit at all (just a $5 gas conservation fine) and honestly the roads did not seem particularly more dangerous than they are today.

Anecdotal evidence, of course, should not be the deciding factor, but the convenience of our state’s residents probably should be considered. Driving from Kalispell to the Bakken, for example, is a long and tedious task. Anything that cuts the time spent on the highway down probably has the potential to reduce accidents, possibly balancing the potential increase caused by higher speeds.

According to Rep. Mike Miller and Rep.-elect Art Wittich, there is evidence that raising the speed limit on interstate highways, at least, will not cause a problem. That’s because Utah, Wyoming and Idaho have all done so without incident, the legislators say.       

If that proves to be correct, then we suspect Montanans will be solidly behind this change.

Timber-sale news promising

The numbers seem like they’re from a bygone era: 39 million board-feet of timber proposed to be harvested on 8,845 acres east of Libby.

That’s more timber than is usually harvested on the Kootenai National Forest in a year (it was 24 million board-feet in 2012, for example) yet it’s part of the ambitious East Reservoir Project that has been approved by Kootenai Forest Supervisor Chris Savage.

The timber plans are welcome news not only for economically hard-pressed Lincoln County but also for lumber operations such as F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. and Plum Creek Timber Co. that are battling timber-supply shortages.

If the East Reservoir Project comes to fruition, it could have a more positive impact in Northwest Montana.

However, as with all major forest-management projects, that’s a big “if.”

There still is the chance that legal challenges and obstructionist tactics will impede the East Reservoir Project. We hope that doesn’t happen, but if history is any guide, the project is not likely to sail smoothly ahead.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.