Counterpoint: Keeping forest forest is worth the millions

The Star Tribune published a fundamentally flawed article on May 16 ("Giving money for nothing?") regarding the Upper Mississippi Forest project, the largest conservation project ever undertaken by the state of Minnesota.

All premise and no evidence, the article promoted the notion that none of the project's 290 square miles of privately owned property within Minnesota's North Woods would ever be developed and that all of the land would remain open to the public forever.

Anyone who has observed the changing trends in the forest-products industry cannot take this line of reasoning seriously. In fact, the Star Tribune published an excellent series of articles documenting the loss of industrial timberland and the resulting fragmentation of Minnesota's forests just a few years ago.

In case anyone has forgotten:

•Consolidated Paper Co. sold off all of its holdings on Minnesota's North Shore in the early 1990s. Much of this land has already been developed, and that which hasn't is now held by an out-of-state investor.

•Potlatch sold off tens of thousands of acres of its forestland in northern Minnesota and has posted no-trespassing signs around much of what remains in its ownership.

•Boise Cascade, another timber industry giant, sold all its forestland in Minnesota to an investment group in 2003 that has already sold -- and continues to sell -- tracts of 40 and 80 acres.

How long would the lands within the Upper Mississippi Forest project area remain undeveloped and open for recreation? The only thing one knows for sure is that if nothing is done, there will not be anything to stop this property from being broken up and sold off to the highest bidders.

The land includes more than 280 miles of shoreline along lakes and streams. Waterfront property is often the most valuable real estate owned by timber companies, and when they decide to maximize profits for their investors, these lands are quickly sold off for development.

It should also be noted that the Upper Mississippi Forest project is largely within the upper reaches of the Mississippi River, which provides drinking water to many Minnesotans, including residents of the Twin Cities.

The Legislature thankfully recognized the merits of taking action to help ensure the conservation of this property. So, too, did the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council, whose members overwhelmingly recommended the project, and a diverse coalition of environmental, outdoor recreation and conservation groups, which enthusiastically endorsed it. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has also endorsed the project.

The state is expected to purchase a conservation easement next year that would prevent the land from ever being subdivided or developed, regardless of who owns the land in the future. The easement also will guarantee permanent public access for outdoor recreation, including hiking, birding, hunting and fishing. And the easement includes provisions that will ensure sustainable forestry, benefiting wildlife habitat.

The project's price tag of $45 million is based on an independent appraisal of the value of the conservation easement and the specific resources it protects. Appraisers can look at a long history of easement purchases to arrive at a solid assessment of the value to the state. Private foundations have agreed to contribute $9 million through the Conservation Fund, leveraging the state's investment of $36 million.

The property will stay on the tax rolls and in private ownership. Jobs related to the timber and tourism industries will also be maintained.

Keeping this land undeveloped and open for recreation should be considered the signature inaugural-year achievement of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, which voters approved by an overwhelming margin last November.

Polls show that voters overwhelmingly supported the amendment because they wanted to protect the quality of their drinking water and conserve Minnesota's lakes, rivers, streams, forests and wildlife.

The Upper Mississippi Forest project does all of this and more. It is precisely the kind of project that Minnesotans envisioned under the amendment and which would not have been possible without it.

Peggy Ladner is director of the Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, and Mark Peterson is executive director of Audubon Minnesota.