Bush's Yard Sale

The Bush administration proposed a novel idea recently: Sell off a tiny fraction of National Forest land to save money and raise funds for rural schools. Far from a revival of the Homestead Act signed up President Lincoln in 1862 and which distributed some 80 million federal acres over the following century, the idea is closer to holding a federal yard sale to clear out some of the junk that has accumulated over the years. The National Forest Service controls some 192 million of the federal government's 600 million acres. What the president proposed in his budget this year was to sell off about one-tenth of one percent of that land--some300,000 acres that provides little benefit to the taxpayer but who nonetheless pays for its upkeep and maintenance. But even the whisper of such a sale can set off a torrent of criticism from political packrats. Among them are Democrat Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Republican Sens. Larry Craig of Idaho and Conrad Burns of Montana. Shortly after the announcement, Sen. Burns declared the idea "dead in the water" and vowed to strike it from legislation. The sale, however, may yet be held. Why? First, as one environmental newsletter put it, there may be no alternative. Second, it's a good idea. According to David Tenny, Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture, the lands that have been selected are no longer serving the goals of the Forest Service. Many are isolated parcels surrounded by private land with little or no public access. At least one-quarter of the lands proposed for sale in the Gallatin National Forest near Bozeman, Mont., are inaccessible to the public. Other acreage is near metropolitan areas and has lost its Forest Service character: A small Forest Service parcel in Oregon is in the middle of a parking lot; another is being used to grow crops. Finally, some of these lands were previously designated for land exchange (trades with other agencies or private owners). To ensure there are no "sneakers" in there, as Mr. Tenney calls them, the public will have a chance to comment on all acres proposed for sale....