FARRAGUT: State park being abused

The Idaho State Parks are by law to be managed to maintain a natural looking forest. Every tree more than 12 inches is to be judged individually. To the contrary, thousands of trees are being cut in Farragut State Park using industrial machinery with little consideration for the scenic, recreational impact and habitat destruction.

Long parallel skid trails barely 40 feet apart cut across trails. Noxious weeds are choking out what native habitat is left after a Bobcat with a stump grinder tills the forest floor. The open canopy invites parasitic cowbirds and starlings into threatened forest bird habitat.

Under the guise of forest health and fire management, diverse forests are being literally tree farmed. In the last two years a profit driven strategy has been employed that has resulted in the loss of hundreds of beautiful large trees that once lined the scenic roadways within the park. Skid trails wander along and across roadways, stump farms border campgrounds, soils are rutted and torn open.

While there is no doubt cutting 70 percent of the forest down and grinding every living thing into the forest floor will reduce fire danger in the short term, soon enough brush and dense stands of young trees will join the weeds creating a much worse fire danger than before.

Farragut State Park was a gift from the Federal Government and is a national treasure. Farragut State Park is long overdue for a comprehensive management plan that honors this invaluable, scenic and recreational area.

MIKE LEE

Bayview