Mark Rey, Plum Creek, and Trophy Homes

I didn't get a chance to make it the forum with Mark Rey, U.S department of Agriculture undersecretary, but New West has done some really thorough coverage of the event. Reading the article is frustrating enough, so maybe it's just as well that I missed it.

It appears as if local communities in Montana have little say in how land will be developed in the future, because Plum Creek Timber Co. holds over a million acres of land in the state, including an overwhelming proportion of Missoula county. The trouble is that "timber company" is really an anachronism; more apt would be Plum Creek "trophy home development agency." It's just the result of a simple shift in market priorities. Timber prospects don't look good, while there's plenty of demand for those secluded wilderness retreats.

These residential properties flung all over the landscape are very taxing on community services, especially fire protection, as well as natural resources such as water. This is not to mention the damage done to the environmental landscape and character of the region. How ironic is it that the "last best place" sloganeering of real estate salesmen ends up with anything but.

Based on the coverage I've heard, the only recourse is either legal or legislative. A legal case could be made that the Forest Roads and Trails Act of 1964 never intended to allow the timber industry to give easements for real estate purposes. The only other option, at least according to Rey, would be state-wide legislation similar to what Oregon passed in the 1980's.