Rehberg: uphill battle to get logging revitalized in county

Mineral County welcomed Montana's only representative in the U.S. House of Representatives in Superior Wednesday for a talk with community members about issues facing rural Montana.

Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) talked with a crowd of around 20 people in the Mineral County Courthouse about how he is working with problems that he faces in the House of Representatives and how he helps deal with local issues on the federal level.

Rehberg said that one of the things he works with is being the only representative from Montana. Most states have more than one representative in the house.

“California has 53 of me, so I better know something about every issue you guys have for me,” Rehberg said.

One of the biggest issues discussed was the management of natural resources in rural communities like Mineral County. Rehberg said that timber harvests used to pay for road maintenance and school funding, but timber receipts have since been abolished.

“The environmental movement suggested that we did not want to have a financial tie between having to cut trees for the purposes of paying for public services,” Rehberg said.

He said that the legislature allowed for five years of federal funding for school and roads until a new way to pay for these things was found. Rehberg said that this five-year window is up, and there is still no new way to fund these issues.

“We're in this constant battle to convince our east of the Mississippi and our urban friends that it's not fair to just pull the rug out from underneath those of us out west that don't have the same economic opportunities,” said Rehberg.

Rehberg said that those on the East Coast and those in urban communities do not understand the problems facing rural Montanans because they do not live in communities dominated by federally owned and operated property. Since most of Mineral County is national forest, they do not have the same opportunities that more urban areas do. Rehberg added that while 10 to 15 jobs would not be a big deal for bigger communities, Mineral County would love to have those jobs.

“We know you're up against it,” Rehberg said, who added that many people in Congress feel that forests should be left entirely alone and logging is completely detrimental to the health of a forest. He said that he often has to explain to his colleagues that logging can be helpful to the way a forest operates and that without proper forest management, dangerous forest fires and other issues can cause even more damage to federal property.

“If you want a healthy environment, there are ways to accomplish that,” Rehberg said. He said that once he has explained to other members in Congress how thinning and forest management can help wildlife and the forest grow and prosper, many of them realize that logging is not necessarily a bad thing.

“I don't get it. Why don't we honor loggers? The good thing about loggers on federal property is that we have the ability to tell them what tree to cut, when to cut it, how to cut it and we're using their capital, their equipment and their labor. How can that be bad? They can't go out willy-nilly and do whatever they want. We tell them what we want them to do,” Rehberg said.

Rehberg said that despite his efforts and those of his colleagues, there is still an uphill battle to be fought to get responsible logging revitalized in the area. He encouraged concerned citizens to join groups that supported rural communities to get their voices heard.

“We're joiners; that's what Montana is. You have an opportunity to strengthen your voice by some of the groups that you belong to,” Rehberg said.

He suggested that Mineral County form coalitions within the League of Cities and Towns and the National Association of Counties to help force action within the federal government.

Rehberg also criticized the Republican Party for its loss of voice within the government and some problems within Iraq.

“We earned the minority. And one of the reasons we earned the minority is we didn't have the oversight,” Rehberg said.

He said that while some issues in Iraq are getting better, he felt that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld should have been replaced sooner.

After the meeting, Rehberg walked with Superior Volunteer Fire Department's Fire Department's chief, John Woodland, to the fire hall to discuss funding and space issues within the department.

Woodland said that the department has little to no space to conduct meetings and training. He added that the space in which firefighters get dressed out for emergencies is far too close to moving vehicles. The dressing space is a thin hallway created by a wall and a fire truck, which often has to drive off while firefighters are still getting dressed beside it.

“It's a county maintenance building that was never designed to be a fire hall,” Woodland said.

Woodland also said that there is insulation coming down from the ceiling in places and that he is concerned for the health of his firefighters.

Woodland said that the county has property on Diamond Road for a new fire hall, but the money to build the hall is just not available. Rehberg offered his help in pushing through funding grants and said that he would do everything in his power to help them get a new facility.

Rehberg said that he visits every county in Montana for talks like this and that Mineral County is one of the last ones he has to visit for this term.

“I'm saving the best for last,” laughed Rehberg. He said that as a child he used to visit friends in Superior and that the area holds a special place in his heart. “It's a great community and I've always enjoyed spending time here,” Rehberg said.

Rehberg serves on the house appropriations committee and two subcommittees, one for energy and another for health and education.