Charles Taylor Vs. National Forest Sale (part 34)

The Asheville Citizen-Times has another report on Charles Taylor and the National Forest Sale. This time they are saying that Taylor is going the extra mile in working to stop the proposed land sale.

Its hard to believe it when he sounds so much like a politician:
Taylor says…

…he doubts the U.S. Forest Service will get far in Congress with the land sale proposal.

Well, thats reassuring. It would be more reassuring if Taylor hadn’t been caught lying about blocking the sale earlier.

he plans to make it almost impossible for the Forest Service to conduct the sales.

Almost?…

“I think I’m content in saying … this (the land sales) isn’t going to happen in the way it’s been proposed,” Taylor said.

So, they’ll change a few words or will none of our National Forests be sold?

To stop the sale, Taylor has included a provision in the 2007 Interior Department spending bill which would bar the Forest Service from using its budget to prepare for auctioning the land. However, as the Citizen-Times points out, to have effect, Taylor’s provision will have to survive several steps in the monthlong budget process.

The agency wants to auction public land in 35 states to raise $800 million over five years for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination program. The program, which has been financed with logging receipts from public lands and the general treasury, is up for renewal this year.

Except, as we’ve already covered, not only do southern states get pennies on the dollar in this deal, but the money goes straight back into the general treasury, leaving no garuntee that it will be used for educational investment.

…

Forest Service land in a number of Western North Carolina counties could be sold under a Bush administration proposal:
In the Nantahala National Forest:
• Cherokee: two tracts, 147.5 acres.
• Graham: one tract, 9.62 acres.
• Jackson: three tracts, 137.12 acres.
• Macon: 51 tracts, 2,750.69 acres.
• Swain: seven tracts, 790.16 acres.

In the Pisgah National Forest:
• Avery: two tracts, 36.29 acres.
• Buncombe: one tract, 22.65 acres.
• Burke: three tracts, 123.12 acres.
• Caldwell: four tracts, 153.15 acres.
• Haywood: one tract, 1.42 acres.
• Madison: 25 tracts, 1,460.13 acres.
• McDowell: nine tracts, 568.27 acres.
• Mitchell: 18 tracts, 415.5 acres.

About JW Randolph

Raised on the banks of the Tennessee River, JW's work to create progress in his home state and throughout Appalachia has been featured on the Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Kos and Grist. He served first as Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate and then Tennessee director until leaving to pursue a career in medicine in 2012.