A deal is a deal. And when one party reneges on that deal, it could have consequences.
And in this case, those consequences could have wide repercussions for the residents of Borderland, the entire state, and the nation who rely on the forest and tourism industries to earn a living and the forests for recreation.
The state broke promises to forest owners when it capped payments at $100,000 to owners of land enrolled in the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act program. The program provides money per acre enrolled to landowners in exchange for the landowners managing their forests sustainably and opening the property to public use.
The payment cap was used to free up money to solve a state budget deficit. Large landowners first prevailed in court, but that decision was later overruled in an appeal by the state. And now, we hear the Minnesota Supreme Court refuses to even listen to the case.
Regardless of the most recent court actions, we believe that Minnesotans and Americans may now pay the price for the state’s broken promises as these large landowners contemplate how to be financially responsible to their investors while at the same time providing the benefits to the public — sustainable forest management and public access.
And those two values come at a cost.
Clearly, no one wants to see any roads closed or access denied. But most private property owners would rethink participating in a program when the rules are changed in the middle of the game and the incentives they were promised reduced.
That’s just what is happening on property in Borderland now owned by Molpus Woodlands Group and no longer in the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act program.
Molpus staff indicate that they are open to a solution. That’s a great start for discussions on the possibility of conservation easements and getting more members of Legislature to understand the true value of public access. But that will take time and something must be done now to buy time to keep the land open in the meantime.
And former Sen. Bob Lessard’s got it right — just pay them now and get the 2013 Legislature to understand the value of sustainable forest management that feeds local mills and provides jobs and open access to the public for recreation and tourism. Then it must take action to repair the state’s broken promise.
