Saturday, October 24, 2015

WI asset sale scandal: Contractor must pay something

What? A contractor has to pay for the trees? In this day and age, how did the DNR let that happen?
Wisconsin sells 72 acres of Peninsula State Park’s trees for $15,000

5 comments:

my5cents said...

Only $15,000 for 72 acres of trees? They might as well have just given them to him. That was a steal.

Anonymous said...

The payback isn't in the purchase price, the real cost to the contractor will be the dark-money donations to Walker and his repug cronies.

nonquixote said...

Let the tiny bit of cash stay with that park, the largest income generating state park most years. They'll spend the dollar amount dealing with tourists, re-routing traffic etc., during the harvest. Anybody who's ever been lucky enough to ski or hike or bicycled there might remember a couple plantation pine areas. Most likely, some natural forest succession and native vegetation generation quickly establishes itself in those harvested areas.

Any concern about this project should more properly be reserved and directed to Walker's budget which first removed public funding from the entire state park system and then removed a large contingent of scientific personnel from the DNR.

This last budget was the outrage, not ever to be forgotten, and as the real attack on public property reserved for regular citizens to maybe have a chance to enjoy. Quick search shows that would results in votes ousting a Sen Frank Lasee (R-missing from his district) and a Rep Joel Kitchens (R - Sturgeon Bay).

Anonymous said...

I don't think they are clear cutting. They are managing the trees so they get a healthier stand. I don't know how they determine value but I would guess this wood is to be sold as firewood.

old baldy said...

Pine is not usually used for firewood. This will probably be pulp, or if big enough, sawlogs.

Red/white pine is normally grown on a 150+ year rotation and needs periodic thinning. Folks shouldn't get all worked up about this sale.