(KBC NOTE: Klamath Tribe document  explains that, in the Klamath Settlement plan with a gift of 92,000 acres to the Klamath Tribes, they will trade that land for the Winema Forest so THEY can log it, acquire surrounding private land, and with ripping out 4 hydro dams, they will build a power plant. )

To the Editor by Jack Ziegelmeyer, Chiloquin

When I was a young man in the early sixties there were two sawmills in Chiloquin and one at Modoc Point. Most every town around the forest had at least one and Lakeview had several plus numerous logging companies.

Our young men here started to work after high school setting chokers in the woods or worked at the sawmill. There was a sense of pride and heritage from their father's to work in timber. We all made good money and the community thrived.

Now we're all hurting, timber families and towns. The county is hurting with virtually no timber payments.

The administration of the Klamath Tribe and various environmental groups have appealed forest service timber sales for years, which has killed the timber harvest and hurt all of us. I wish they could realize, by their actions, that this has hurt our community and young men w ho need jobs.

The forest service with vast areas of dead and dying timber on the forest put up virtually no timber sales. It is their responsibility to manage our forest. The only way to do that is through increased logging to clean this mess up. The forest supervisor and officials in the Fremont-Winema receive huge salaries for letting the forest deteriorate.

Now the non-producers in the forest service have decided to shut down most roads for us forest users.

It seems like our tax dollars are being used to fund our own destruction.

Jack Ziegelmeyer, Chiloquin