The Mineral County Commissioners moved to join the American Forest Resource Council. The annual membership is $600 and they will join Lincoln County in Montana as well as counties in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and California. Members also include manufacturers and companies that work directly in or represent the forest products industry.

“They’re just now branching out into Montana,” said Commissioner Laurie Johnston. “If there’s a lawsuit, we don’t have to have the money to fight it, their attorneys will join. It part of their membership.”

They are a regional trade association whose purpose is to advocate for sustained yield timber harvests on public timberlands throughout the West to, “enhance forest health and resistance to fire, insects, and disease,” according to their mission statement. They also strive to practice socially and scientifically responsible forestry on both public and private forest lands.

Commissioner Roman Zylawly commented that he thought this was a good group to join, and county planner Tim Read said that this seems to be the new horizon to deal with the federal government, especially when dealing with groups who oppose timber work on forest service land.

“The opposition people have this down to a science,” he said about cases going before local judges.

AFRC advocates for responsible management of public forestlands. “We strongly believe that active management of our public forests is the right thing to do – for the environment, for the economy and for the future,” according to their website.

AFRC President Travis Joseph, along with some other representatives, were at a July 18 meeting where Tricon Timber hosted an update and tour of the Redd Bull timber project.