The dead trees on Little Mountain have been a concern for one Sweetwater County Commissioner for a long time, but now the whole board is ready to address the issue.
During a recent Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, the board gave Commissioner Wally Johnson permission to write a letter to the Bureau of Land Management to address the thinning of juniper trees on Little Mountain.
For months, Johnson has expressed his concerns to the board, the United States Forest Service and the BLM.
At the meeting, Johnson said he believes the forest service is making a mistake in the thinning of the junipers on the west side of Little Mountain. He said they are going to burn the cut trees after there’s enough snow. Johnson said he’s been told this is being done to provide better grazing, create a better environment for sage grouse to live and to mitigate the danger of a fire.
Johnson said the junipers they are removing provide cover for deer and elk; and he believes their efforts would be better spent on removing the dead trees at the top of the mountain, which are nothing but a fire hazard.
“I need a little guidance on this from the commission. I still have a problem with what’s going on Little Mountain. And despite everybody disagreeing with me, I still feel strongly. I think they’re making a mistake,” Johnson said.
“I think I’m to the point that I need the commission to tell me if you agree that we should just let it go or we should draft a letter to the appropriate people in BLM,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the letter would sight the commissions objection to how the BLM is spending money to thin the junipers instead of using it to clear out the deadfall trees on the top of the mountain.
He said it gets back to what the forest service is spending on a national basis to fight forest fires.
Half of their budget goes to fighting fires.
“What we’re doing south of Rock Springs, in my opinion, is just waiting for that to catch fire,” Johnson said. “I’d like us to be on record, if you’re so inclined, to have taken a position. Even though I know it’s not going to do any good.... Nobody agrees with me.”
Johnson asked the commissioners what their thoughts were on how to proceed.
“I’ve agreed with you from the beginning on that,” Commission chairman Reid West said.
Commissioner Randy Wendling said he had no problem sending a letter.
“I agree with you 100 percent,” Commissioner Don Van Matre said. “I think that if nothing else we all need to let that BLM know and the other groups exactly how we feel.”
“I hate to agree with Wally,” Kolb said. “I think we should ask the BLM to come in and explain this. I don’t know why we don’t have the right to ask this.”
The commissioners decided to send a letter to the BLM expressing their point of view.
Johnson said of course the BLM will disagree and then they can encourage the BLM to send someone to convince them otherwise at a future meeting.
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