Officials eye timber

| October 10, 2014 9:00 PM

GRANGEVILLE (AP) - Idaho County commissioners have approved hiring a consultant to find a way to cut more timber on federal land.

Commissioners approved spending up to $2,000 to hire Doyle Shamley of Veritas Research Consulting, The Lewiston Tribune reported Thursday.

Plans call for him to visit Grangeville from Oct. 26 to 28 and meet with U.S. Forest Service officials from Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest.

Idaho County pays $5,000 a year to be a member of the American Lands Council, which offers advice to counties on how states can take over federally managed land.

Chmelik said he learned about Shamley while attending as a speaker a seminar by the group.

"I don't want to be in a big battle with the Forest Service," Chmelik said. "But I also don't want to see our county residents suffering the way they've been suffering."

Chmelik unsuccessfully challenged Lt. Gov. Brad Little in the Republican primary in May. Chmelik's campaign was largely based on Idaho gaining control of federally managed public lands as a way to produce what he predicts will be an economic windfall.

"We have a deadbeat landowner in the Forest Service," he said. "Not because they want to be - they've been forced to be deadbeat because of environmental groups. I want to help them not to be a deadbeat landowner."