August 2, 2005

Keep forest public

The recent front-page articles in the Herald and News concerning the Klamath Tribes were interesting, somewhat factual and somewhat misleading to those without knowledge of the Tribes' history in the Klamath Basin.

The fact is, yes, the Tribes voted to sell the reservation.

Tribal members did understand that they were going to receive a lot of money for selling it. It is nobody's fault but their own if the money was spent foolishly.

The tribal members who invested wisely are to be commended. Misleading is the notion that the Tribes can do a better job of managing the Winema National Forest. They have been intimately involved in nearly all aspects of the management for many years. If there has been poor management of the forest, they are as much to blame as anyone.

If the U.S. Forest Service could manage the forest without the "help" of the Tribes, we might see some timber sales that would produce revenue for that agency as well as for Klamath County. The Tribes' forest plan is amazingly similar to that of the Forest Service.

My feeling is that the Winema National Forest should stay under the ownership and management of the federal government (all the people of the United States).

The forest is for all Americans. It should not be managed by, given or sold to the Klamath Tribes.

Charlie Whitlatch

 Klamath Falls