All of you who enjoy elk hunting as I do might consider commenting on the Westside timber sale scoping package. Comments are due on Jan. 31.

Bonners Ferry District Ranger Knauth plans to log 14.9 square miles on the Myrtle, Snow and Caribou Creek watersheds and Dodge Peak and White Mountain areas. He wants his timber volume so bad he proposes to amend his Forest Plan standards to allow him to violate the current minimum level for elk hiding cover.

Incredibly, he proposes to remove hiding cover trees in four watersheds that are already below the forest plan standard for hiding cover. For me it’s more important to have fully functional elk habitat than it is for him to achieve his supervisor’s timber volume quota.

Please call his office at 208-267-5561 and request a copy if the Scoping Notice for the Westside Restoration Project. It’s also available online. They will give you the link.

DICK ARTLEY

Grangeville