Rey in Missoula to address Plum Creek talks
U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey will be in Missoula on Monday to answer questions about controversial closed door talks between the U.S. Forest Service and the Plum Creek Timber Company.
Rey says the talks have merely clarified old forest road use agreements, guaranteeing Plum Creek access across public land for all purposes, including real estate development.
But some say they’re worried that the easement negotiations could pave the way for extensive real estate sales in what is now working timberland.
Rey will meet with county commissioners from across western Montana, as well as with the public, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday at Missoula’s Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park.
Plum Creek is the country’s largest private landowner, with 8 million acres nationwide and 1.2 million acres in Montana.
Overall, the company says that some two million of those acres are targeted for sale in coming years across the U.S. … [more]