Importance of coordination

In the Sanders County Ledger, one Doug Ferrell commented on Ron Olfert’s pro-coordination article. Mr. Ferrell’s long-winded comments about “coordination” missed the whole point of the process. Or he never attended the meetings that were held at which County Commissioners promised to send letters demanding coordination; or if he did, chose to not listen, or is merely a plant to denigrate Ron Olfert and those who seek to limit Federal and State involvement in deciding the fates of local economics.

The subject of coordination is to ensure that locals are not adversely impacted by Federal actions. In addition, it is imperative that local governments, as Ron and others have demanded, that local governments and agencies demand that coordination occur.

Coordination is not a mandate on State and local governments as Mr. Ferrell implies, but rather is a process passed by the US Congress as a requirement that all federal agencies consult with State and local agencies and/or governing boards prior to conducting any federal actions that may negatively (or positively) impact local, non-Federal economies, lands, or entities.

How much simpler can one put it?

Mr. Ferrell is astro-turfing, considering how much space he devoted to confusing the issue with querulous remarks about conservatives’ desires to limit Federal government involvement in State landscapes. Feds are limited BY mandates of the Federal and State constitutions, and otherwise should stay out of our lives.

It seems that Mr. Ferrell and those like him think States exist to do the bidding of the Feds, or at the very least stand aside and let their agents run roughshod over us. On the contrary, States are the controlling entities, without which the Federal government would have none of the limited powers the US Constitution loans to them. Feds only exist with the consent of the citizens of the several States.

Finally, I suggest Mr. Ferrell read the documents concerning coordination, before making ignorant comments and foolishly insulting inferences about Mr. Olfert and others.