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I want to see this thing come to a close myself, having it on my "to do" list for 35 years. However, I see promise in the editors points, I can and will not support an exchange that is not acre for acre.
Let's consider this: The state land in the BWCA that the FEDS don't want swapped amounts to about 50,000 acres. They, and the editor, recommend an outright purchase of those lands although with taxpayer dollars. These state lands are already taxpayer owned, so who in their right mind would advocate the taxpayers buy what they already own? Now, if the Timberjay and Sierra Club would fund the purchase with their deep, private pocketbooks and then donate the land back the the Feds, how could I oppose that? Private money used to acquire rights to taxpayer land and the rights to the land returned back to the taxpayer. Makes sense to those of us not chugging out of former San Francisco Congressman Phil Burton's bourbon bottle.
But I'm not over yet. In order for me to accept this deal, the Feds would have to agree to give up title to 50,000 acres of Fed land outside the BWCA and turn those lands over to the DNR. This would accomplish the reasonable goal of not increasing federal ownership of lands in northeastern Minnesota, thereby complicating the mission of the environmentalists of restricting our rights on the lands we live with. We want less federal lands, not more.
How about it Marshall? Want to get together and draw up this proposal to present to the feds and state? You and I will both sign it and live with it. Seems a reasonable compromise and solution to me and those I represent.
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