USFS has $100 million in projects ready to go

January 2, 2009

Rob Chaney, The Missoulian (Montana)
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Excerpts:

The U.S. Forest Service has about $100 million in “shovel-ready” forest restoration projects on the shelf that could put loggers, scientists, heavy-equipment operators and other timber-related workers on the payroll, members of the Montana Forest Restoration Committee said.

That backlog could be turned into 1,337 full- and part-time jobs, according to an analysis by the Wilderness Society, one of the committee's partners.

“If Congress and the incoming administration want to stimulate rural economies, this is a great opportunity to put people to work restoring wildlife habitat and watersheds,” said Bob Ekey, Wilderness Society regional director. “These projects enjoy broad support by the public.”