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I did read the article, it is was led to my conclusion..........More than 18,000 snowmobilers use the West Mountain snowmobile trail system annually, according to a study by Headwaters Economics of Bozeman, Mont. Closing the trails, the 2006 study said, would cost Valley County $832,000 in sales.
What do the Wilks brothers plan to do with the 172,000 acres? The Texans might simply have bought the land for investment purposes, to develop into a private hunting preserve, or, perhaps, like Western Pacific Timber and its mercurial former billionaire owner Tim Blixseth, might be interested in trading the land within the Payette River corridor and 10,000 acres on the back side of West Mountain.
I still don't think you have read the article. As I quoted above, they have clearly stated they plan to continue timber harvesting as before once they have satisfied themselves that all the right insurance is in place etc. It's what they said in the article you linked in your second post.
While they haven't said anything specific about snowmobile access a reasonable interpretation is that once they are satisfied that the right insurance coverage is in place they will reopen access for that as well.
But back to fundamentals, it is private property, as it was when Boise Cascade owned the land. I would hope that Idahoans would recognize the right of a property owner to manage their property as they see fit.
I still don't think you have read the article. As I quoted above, they have clearly stated they plan to continue timber harvesting as before once they have satisfied themselves that all the right insurance is in place etc. It's what they said in the article you linked in your second post.
While they haven't said anything specific about snowmobile access a reasonable interpretation is that once they are satisfied that the right insurance coverage is in place they will reopen access for that as well.
But back to fundamentals, it is private property, as it was when Boise Cascade owned the land. I would hope that Idahoans would recognize the right of a property owner to manage their property as they see fit.
Dave
Speaking of property rights, I wonder if it is just an Idahoan tendency or some sort of mentality but I've had a little trouble with people respecting property rights in my area as well. We purchased 20 total acres of timbered property that has not been built on before. After we purchased it, we put up private property and no trespassing signs at all of the main entrances. Even since doing that, our wildlife cameras have picked up neighborhood folks walking around on our property as if out for a leisurely stroll. I know this property has been unoccupied for years and the people just liked going for walks on it since it is nice but now that we have signs up, we are pretty pissed that they feel like they can just keep strolling through it as if nothing has changed. Another goofy scenario is when a liberal loon neighbor of ours told us she didn't want us to fence our property because she would have to see the fence and also for the sake of the wildlife. I told her that we were fencing it primarily to keep our dogs from wandering the neighborhood and to keep people from wandering around on our property because the signs weren't cutting it. Now can you argue with those reasons? I dunno, but she somehow thought her reasons were more important. Figures...
I am very thankful that Idaho has so much public property, but private property is private in my opinion.
Their new Idaho holdings are only a small part of their total holdings. They are Texans. Why should they care about what happens to some small Idaho towns' futures?
It's not being Texan that causes people to act like that. I wouldn't do what the Wilks are doing, and I wouldn't do this either:
I think what they are doing is eminently reasonable. They have purchased land from another private owner. Before allowing other users to continue to use the land as it had been when owned by the prior owner they have asked for some time to ensure the proper insurance coverage is in place. Given their wealth, and today's litigious culture that only makes sense. They would be foolish to do anything else.
As for the example from Texas, the outcome there is sad on a personal level for those impacted, but the reality is it is private land, and the new owners are perfectly within their rights to manage their land as they see fit.
They are Texans. Why should they care about what happens to some small Idaho towns' futures?
As a native Texan who has lived here for several years now, I'm trying not to be offended by the flippant nature of this comment. Especially given the respect I have for you Mike.
The Wilks brothers are ridiculously wealthy. Full stop. Where they hail from is irrelevant at this point, because they can do whatever they want, to whomever they want, whenever they want, and that is their way of life.
It wouldn't matter if they were from China, Russia, Long Island, or Antarctica.
And I fail to see how injecting who voted for which primary challenger has any pertinence to the OP's question about moving to Idaho from Texas.
You're right, Aiden.
I've known a couple of Texans who are real jerks, and I let them color my response. I should not have said what I did.
I also know some very fine folks who are Texans, or who moved here from Texas, and I should not have forgotten them when I made that comment, but I did.
My apologies to you and to all I may have offended.
You're right, Aiden.
I've known a couple of Texans who are real jerks, and I let them color my response. I should not have said what I did.
I also know some very fine folks who are Texans, or who moved here from Texas, and I should not have forgotten them when I made that comment, but I did.
My apologies to you and to all I may have offended.
We're good. Just keep in mind jerks come from everywhere, even here.
You're right, Aiden.
I've known a couple of Texans who are real jerks, and I let them color my response. I should not have said what I did.
I also know some very fine folks who are Texans, or who moved here from Texas, and I should not have forgotten them when I made that comment, but I did.
My apologies to you and to all I may have offended.
No worries, you didn't offend me at all. I'm not easily offended, sometimes not even by people trying to offend me.
Reading that story about the Wilks just reminded me of the Kroenke story, which I had read a couple of weeks ago. I guess I just don't understand the mentality of the ultra-rich, or at least some of them. I absolutely understand that they bought the land and have every right to do whatever they want with it. But had it been me buying the ranch in Texas, I would have handled it differently. If I didn't want them on the land anymore, I would have compensated them for their homes. After all, I would be a billionaire and though it would be a lot of money, it wouldn't be a lot to me.
With the Wilks thing, I would have a hard time putting anyone out of work. If I had been fortunate enough in life to have done that well, I just couldn't live with myself knowing I had put people out of work who depend on a regular paycheck to feed, clothe and house themselves and their families.
I also know some very fine folks... or who moved here from Texas,
Awww shucks! Thanks banjomike.
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