Monday, October 13, 2008

Investigators raise flags over road deal A controversial deal between the federal government and the nation's largest private landowner could increase residential development of forests around the country, according to Congressional investigators. The proposed agreement between the Forest Service and Plum Creek Timber Co. would allow the company to use roads on national forests in Montana to develop its adjacent private property for subdivisions. Such easements often only allow the company to use public roads for logging or forest management. The General Accountability Office, in a letter sent Friday to the two Democratic Senators who requested an investigation, said the deal could set a precedent and allow other private landowners to use forest roads to build subdivisions. The private negotiations deprived the public of any chance to weigh in, investigators said. "This report sounds all sorts of alarms about the way the Forest Service is doing business," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who asked for the probe along with Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M....

No comments: