Show V'7' Vv LV ’ ’ifc1' i Tuesday v 3 :Joly "9 2002' ' ? JL r- ’ 4? ' 'A ‘ : ' ii'( : 1 i" '' j r v: A ' i i - ' :i The Herald journal Regional view wmm mum Idaho sports not likely to disappear From The Tknes-New- higher education By the time the Board has made a foil analysis of where it could cut athletic funding two or three years will have passed and the economy will have rebound' ed Even though they assert otherwise Board members may be laying the groundwork for an appeal to raise taxes in the next legislative session The proposal to cut sports serves as a wedge issue to promote more funding for all college programs We agree that academics should always be the highest priority in university funding Universities are institutions of learning not athlete factories And all college departments and activities should be reviewed for possible financial improvements Finding ways to trim the fat and improve financial accountability doesn’t hurt And it could help the state avoid further higher ed funding crises in the future There very well may be some costs that can be removed from athletic budgets But college sports won’t disappear in Idaho anytime soon and s: fJ1he day college sports are eliminated in Idaho will be the day linebackers recite Chekhov Don’t expect either to happen any time soon The Idaho Board of Education is discussing a new strategy to help restore sagging finances for the state's universities and colleges: Get rid of intercollegiate athletics at public colleges ' Putting education before athletics makes logical sense But die idea that college sports will be eliminated at state colleges is about as farfetched as Bengal s in the Rose Bowl Members of the board are right to evaluate all areas for tighter fiscal management — be it the law school the business schools or the athletic departments They surely realize however that eliminating collegiate sports would be hugely unpopular The deep loyalties to sports programs among common citizens and among political leaders — would prevent any' major cuts The idea would also do little to solve Idaho's current shortfalls in ' cer-tain- ly IKNBNWraiOECSWESBSON More than just regulations By Rocky Barker jP or years Your view ut Writers environmentalists lobbied Congress and enlisted foe public in a crusade to halt clearcuts of the West’s oldest trees They’re still pressing their agenda in Congress But'foey’ve opened a second front in foe marketplace ' They are the State Board knows it pens on publicly owned lands partly because foe Sion Club’s zero-cpolicy opposes any cut- all at ting And how do you define sustainable? The Rainforest Action Network opposes the replacement of natural forests with tree plantations But in north Idaho foresters are ing for clearcuts to remove dense fir dominated forests so that white pine can be And foresters often preplanted scribe thinning out fir beneath the ponderosa pines in southern Idaho’s forests to save the big trees Forest practices like these could result eventually in a healthy rutina! forest similar to die majestic grbves settlers first saw But they are opposed as a threat to dd growth by the Rainforest Action Network and others These debates must be resolved for certification to truly make a differ- - r ence It would certainly help if certifiers developed comparable standards But at least one difference will persist: FSC won’t certify genetically engineered frees jStill it’s a big step forward that some consumers want to know that the products they buy are good for the earth while increasingly corporations are seeking methods to deliver This approach crosTOs boundaries and avoids die regulations that com- panieshate on the Range " growth trees Both require landowners to meet fares is ridiculous higher standards for protecting soils wildlife water quality and other valAs I see it most if not all expen- - ' ues than all but the toughest state ditures of government (the spending aiming at forestry practices act The FSC stanof our money) redirects resources consumers To the editor: dards agreed on by environmental from d uses to lower in the world In response to “The Wheels on the ' groups are mandatory while die valued uses Because we taxpayers market Bus” article in the HJ last Sunday J SFFs are not But if a company have a much stronger incentive to 'embracing First it (bussing) is not “free” Taxducks its responsibilities die public economize (get the greatest economthe global- foot state and (local nation) can learn about it payers ic from the least expendi-turg ism many the entire bill And it’s a huge bill The result: Government forestry dollars left in the hands of detest one with huge tradeoffs Secondly rules are becoming less relevantm more economic taxpayers generate Corporathe CVTD general manager Mr Coeiir d’Alene Buenos Aires Vang than those same dollars tions such Bushman claimed “Every dollar couver Jakarta and other timber would generate in the hands of govas Home spent on transit turns over 16 times” is no different The ' ernment producing regions Companies and Bussing Depot and Lowes its main compeAbsolute hogwash! A multiplier of landowners that can’t certify that economic benefit of the money spent tition which the groups once pick16? That rnust set some sort of world their forestry practices protect foe on bussing would have been greater eted are now helping to protect record' Objective transit analysts if left in the hands of those who ecological health of the land could millions of acres of untouched would most certainly laugh such a suffer said David Adams a retired earned that money Let those who Canadian wilderness Boise Casclaim right oiit of town Where did University of Idaho forestry profesreally want and value the bussing cade a target of thejRainforest : this outrageous multiplier come donatfares and pay for it through Action Network’s campaign to save sor respected by the timber indusfrom? Was It found in a mass transit v try ionsold trees has announced its inten- comic strip or was it simply pulled that most customers is oldtion to Theirony phase out harvests of out of a hat? It is extremely naive to haven’t heard of wood certification timber on publicly owned DougRomrell believe that the multiplier for and don’t know what it means I ' Logan bussing expenditures is 16! Expendiwalked through a Home Depot Boise Cascade’s chief executive ' ture multipliers ate simply not 16 : recently and asked some shoppers officer George Hand has also ' And people who deal with expencertifiif they knew or cared about become a major advocate of third-parditure multipliers know it The motication Most didn’t audits of forest corporations’ vation behind such a claim is Though presented with the To the editor practices to demonstrate their stewobviously to epsure the continued choice of buying environmentally ardship Ahh Logan City’s Annual Chip survival of a public transit system I Meanwhile two organizations are certified wood or and Seal Program is back! We don't think we taxpayers should trust most said they’d prefer to buy cer' received a flyer foe other day letting competing for the hearts and anyone who makes such ridiculous tified us' conboth and of know that our street would be retailers claims Part of the challenge is defining sumers In 1999 the Rainforest "Thirdly I'm not interested in aver- - included As a resident of Center ' old growth Environmentalists from Network Action used entertainers I could Street I’m come interested one to month riders logionly per age the Rainforest Action Network say and college students to persuade cal conclusion ! The “Powers That in the cost per rider per mile as it " 94 percent of foe original old- Home foe world’s Be” have come to their collective Depot largest compares to the cost per mile for forests in the nation have lumber retailer to phase out sales senses and are finally goipg to cor- automobile transportation and the Their definition is of wood from endangered old- rect the mistake which was made on true preferences of people and how based on the age of tree forests 2002 usually our street! I cain only assume that growth their money is spent And I want the by Yet the Forest Service has 114 Lowes and other companies folreal numbers not- fabrications As a $ince they are going to spend prodifferent definitions I cious lowed suit and as dollars much the road to entitled am as objective resurfacing today taxpayer that they are also going to rectify 25 percent of the US lumber marinformation I'm not interested in depending on foe kind of trees ket js demanding that wood sold and ‘’turning lane” fiasco in fake numbers Finally Mr Bushman growing and such ecological environmental stanfoe meet front of my home Just think claimed that charging fares “really impacts as fire frequency rigorous dards will make sense as as the Forest Stewardship Council as “No much doesn't peoPaiking” signs disappear well as the useless so called turning These standards have been set by "pie think "Nonsense! Why then says it will certify private owners' trees if lane! Common sense will prevail should there be any fees for other two groups: The Forest Stewardship who harvest and we will be able to park in front services proy ided by government? Council supported by 16 nonprofits they manage a forest to preserve characteristics That’s ' “A foe detiers people that need it " of our homes once more! including Environmental Defense ' The yellow lines will disappear and the Sierra Club and the exactly how the Forest Service : (bussing) from riding” Oh really Just like'any other service or good if end foe turning (passing) lane will be manages many of foe ponderosa Forestry Initiative orga-- : nized try the timber industry Both ' pine forests in the inland North- bus riders value the service let than a distant memory (and a bad oneat ‘west certify that wood comes from sus- put their money where their “need” : that)! My only hope is that fou tainable forests Neither goes so far Yet both certifying groups shy : ' islThisnotion that bussing is a sacred cow where there should be no SeeLETTERSonA7 as to ban the harvest of all old- away from endorsing what hap- - : Riders should pay their fare share ' - diseas- e-resistant -- : higher-value- well-bein- e) well-bein- - ST" ‘Fiasco’ on Center Street to tie solved? ty : : non-certifi- ed pock-etboo- ks ’ : Rocky Barker Is a contributor to Writers on the Range a service of High Country News In Paonia Colorado (hcnxHg) He is environmental reporter for the Idaho Statesman - Cth This column and other personal columns In the Herald Journal may old-grow- th g old-grow- old-grow- Sus-tainab- is-- express Opin- ions that do not align exactly your own If you disagree please respond with a letter to the edtor or contact edttor Charles 'McColum about a possble guest com1 Ext 320 mentary (Phone: cmccdlum 0 hjnewsom)- - See UmiiWJkxi box at bottom of page for th th le - 'A 9 ' ' v Mallard Fillmoro : t V 'WiV v i v ' Herald Journal v The Herald Journal waloomee leasts to the : edSor Potendaly Rieloue orodenelve letteie h sHM not be pgbiihod however and tie edtor leeetvee toe right to edt al toderS to eontorm -- eBBEj: tie Opinion psgs Is Inlnnrlnfl In inr Mini totoatengtoairiitytorequliemenleoftoo medsniriaawnWvlewpaMsannMariris hewepepeft ' Letters should be: of pubic htipoiteiice and provide iMrnben of gWconimunlfriiatoriOTtorthsjrylews Personal ookinne cartoons end Mlars tram ' readers rated tw opinions oi their writers and creators Edltoriale Under ttteheedng 'Our — a i wiBir —a reprisal wm vwwv 01 ra nan jpunw OARRBLEHRLlCKMy CINDY ' i' BRUCE SMIWpubfcrar1 : 1 ' s' i Vi' v T:- ' ':Yf S' j 's : l r v 1 V -- '? "1 “ v ' ' ) er c r any 30day period Address Emal tetters to htottsrOh)newixotn Gueel oonvnWlOVItl W9 MO wMPOfni flna Wl lUn -' W-"-r T ' s j ' : v r - ajpudbytoeeutoorv :i ' todMduele are Mtod none pUbWied v! toeodtoredecrslon (IARLESMcC(XlUiylwnaglngedaor i No more than 450 words In lengto w Addressed and Include deytltne phone-numbtor purposes olvertoceloa: ' odHor YURTNMureeadHor ‘('i ' w Typewritten end doubleepeced ’ odHotliiDoatd Members ol the edNotfel board:' x 1 752-212- a - - ! |