Now for the rest of the story

Regarding the article "Baucus signs largest land conservation in U.S. History" in the July 3 Whitefish Pilot, I have been visiting Whitefish on and off for the last 30 years. I have lived and worked in Whitefish several times in that period.

When I read the article mentioned above regarding the great effort and outcome of the deal with Plum Creek and Sen. Max Baucus, I was dismayed. No mention of the recent deal Plum Creek got from the government in the article "U.S., developer cut deal to convert prime forest," in the Chicago Tribune July 6.

The Bush administration is preparing to ease the way for the nation's largest private landowner to convert hundreds of thousands of acres of mountain forest land to residential subdivisions.

The deal was struck behind closed doors between Mark Rey, the former timber lobbyist who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, and Plum Creek Timber Co., a former logging company turned real estate investment trust that is building the homes.

Quid pro quo — who is scratching who's what here? As citizens of the U.S. and those of Montana, we should all take another look at both transactions.

I intend on moving back to Montana, but what will I see more rape and pillage of our national parkland and forests?

Robert Gatz is a resident of both Chicago and Whitefish.