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As a lifelong taxpayer in Sanders County (as well as Flathead County), I believe that a different perspective on the economics of state takeover of federal lands is in order.

Consider this: Recent newspaper articles have indicated that Sanders County’s upcoming budget will be about $4 million and the cost of fighting the last major fire in Sanders County has exceeded $20 million. If Montana were to get all federal lands, all of the costs of firefighting on those lands would fall on Montana taxpayers. Plus the costs of timber surveys, etc., road building and maintenance, on and on. Of course, all those Eastern states that have little federal land surely would not vote in Congress to keep paying Montana, etc., Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), which has for years subsidized a very considerable portion of Montana counties’ road and school monies. Then too, federal grazing leases on the average cost at least one-third of Montana’s. When Montanans cannot pay grazing fees or have to ante up for major fires, Sen.Fielder’s attempted bill not allowing sale of federal lands secured rings totally hollow. Montana also requires all state sales to go to the highest bidder.

Will the super rich financing the American Lands Council pass up a choice like that? Hardly!

My father was a blacksmith, and he often cautioned me, “Before you buy the horse, look at its teeth.”

In my opinion, the big money boys have Sen. Fielder in their pockets. —Henry Oldenburg, Bigfork