The answer seems obvious to whether loggers should be allowed to continue to harvest wood from open permits on state forests during a state government shutdown: Yes.
And Koochiching County District Court Judge Chad LeDuc already made that decision by issuing a temporary restraining order against the state. It makes no sense for a judge in Ramsey County to consider issues involved in the case, including whether a permanent injunction against the state should be issued.
Clearly, some activities in Minnesota must be stopped when the government shuts down. But open permits, which are sites in which the state has reviewed the boundaries and provided a permit, should be allowed to continue. No expenditure of state funds is required and no state worker is required to monitor the harvest. When the state starts up its operations, workers can view the open permit areas to ensure that the rules have been followed and the harvest has been conducted properly.
We must agree with Wayne Brandt, executive vice president of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association, who said the logging case is fundamentally different than other cases the Ramsey County judge will hear.
Ramsey County Chief Judge Kathleen Gearin made earlier rulings about which state services and employees would continue through the shutdown and will review other cases involving the shutdown.
As Brandt put it, “this case is about valid contracts and those other cases are trying to compel the state to spend money or to put state employees back on the payroll. Ours is about letting us work.”
We say let the loggers continue to earn a living and supply the needed wood to mills, like Boise, which keep our economy alive.
