Land swap solution

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is pushing to create a land swap of approximately 1,400 acres of trees (to be harvested by a logging company) for 1,200 acres of contaminated wetlands, farmlands and shrub/brush on Black Lake.

My question is this: How is it that Butch Otter can magically be allotted $400K this year for the despicable slaughter of wolves from helicopters … but yet there is no money to be found anywhere to clean up our wetlands on Black Lake (except from the taxpayer’s purse)?

$400K could be far better used to clean up wetlands than supporting this maniacal obsession to destroy a creature that is no longer a threat to livestock in his own wilderness home. His only threat is to the pocket book of the Fish and Game and elk hunters who want a mono culture of elk herds because that is their “cash cow baby.”

If elk herds even start to decline in certain areas, then it’s time to pull out the guns, the helicopters and the traps. “Got to keep those wolves, mountain lions and bears at bay or they might take down an elk or an elk calf.” But that is what predators do … and they too must survive. This creates a terrible imbalance and its money … not good stewardship that is the motivation. The money appears to come way too easy for these kinds of projects.

I’m sure that the trigger-happy “Rambos” who look forward to the bloodbath this year can’t wait to get started. But why do we feed into this warped mentality when $400K could be far better used saving swans than killing wolves? It is this twisted thinking that will only end when Butch Otter’s term is over as governor and there is a housecleaning of the Fish and Game.

It is then and only then that we will see some common sense balance restored to these delicate wildlife programs. But meanwhile, lets hope that we don’t get stuck with the loss of 1,400 acres of trees and a bill for the cleanup for the wetlands of Black lake … not a good trade.

Bonnie Brown is a Benewah County resident.