Dear Rick,

On behalf of the Willow Area Community Organization I would like to share some information and ask a couple of questions.

We were not able to give proper notice for a decision by the community about our views on this issue for our May meeting. We anticipate a discussion and a letter to come forward regarding this issue. The question is about urgency. Do we need to discuss this at our June 1 meeting or can we delay until the July 6 meeting? As Chair I track and facilitate many of the discussions regarding our communitys relationship with governmental agencies and issues. June 1, I am not able to attend as I am having surgery the next day. So my preference if it would be acceptable is to facilitate the discussion July 6 instead. However if you are running on a truly tight deadline then I can turn the issue over to others. More time will also allow more thoughtful critique by more people.

I do realize that both these dates are past today, your published deadline. Hence I offer my views on what is likely to come forward as our communitys opinion in case this is our only chance to speak. Whatever your timeline requires we will give you a final opinion as I am not authorized to speak for the community without the discussion and vote. This may seem a contradiction. My opinion of what is likely to come forward is based upon previous decisions and the dialogue involved to achieve those decisions.

What opinion is likely to come forward? We have had active dialogue with you, your colleagues and agency over the past years on like issues. I anticipate that our response will request continued collaboration with our community, in particular with the Willow Trails Committee and the Willow Dog Mushers Association to meet mutual intersts in the lands in question. We have had good cooperation over this last year in which timber was logged and trails, of great concern to many of us, were protected by the loggers. Previously we have adamantly opposed all logging. In part this is because of who, NPI, and what, woodchipping which we view as the least value added use for the timber. But we do support local hire particularly small businesses that are family focused and community invested. So I believe that we would support continued logging if the who will remain very important to your agency and to us, and the best value use for the wood will remain important.

Another issue that can sneak in to plans is the classification of the lands. Currently we have supported the designation forest management and I would anticipate that we would strongly recommend that being continued. While certainly our community is divided on issues, I believe that a vote would support that the lands in question not be logged, then redesignated and sold. I believe you will find very strong opposition to this possibility.

And last to make sure you are aware that our processes for surveying trails in the upper and lower Haessler-Norris and the Emil Stancec Trail Systems are nearly complete. These are in the areas of the proposed sales. As you know these trails are historic, and currently used extensively. We will be following thru to work towards the long term protection of the trails. Logging and trails can co-exist and in fact be cooperative and facilitate each other. But it takes bilateral committment and ongoing communication to that end. I believe this will emerge as a strong theme in our communitys statement.

So if you could call me on Monday June 1 with your thoughts and plans for process I would appreciate it. <cell number>.

Thank you,
Linda Oxley