We have been watching from the sidelines as the federal government plans another land grab. As if our Feds don't have enough land now!

Their Wild Olymics plan (notice I said "their plan" not ours) has been in the making for several years. They like to spend thousands of dollars making sneaky plans. It seems as if the Feds think they know how to make our beautiful wild country more beautiful and more usable to us. It's about time we look at this proposition in its true light.

* Every acre "stolen" from the private sector, removes it from our local tax base.

* The federal government has shown it can't run anything profitably.

* Removing this special timber growing ground from us, just promotes loss of jobs and private income; just what we don't need.

* It is evident, the feds don't have any extra money to buy anything with, and they have to borrow to exist.

* In the past, when they seized huge chunks of wilderness they obliterated access and fire protection roads, making it hard for many to enjoy it, and subjecting the beautiful trees to be blackened by fire.

* Trees are a crop and when carefully farmed as they are here in Washington State, will perpetually give pleasure and profit to the stewards of the land and all the people around it.

* When trees are farmed, the wild animals including deer, bear and elk, proliferate because there are open grassy areas at all times that enhance the food chain.

* Tourism is our second highest producing industry in Grays Harbor County behind the forest and wood products businesses. We don't need the federal government to tell us how to run and promote our county.

* Notice, by the map of the proposed government seizure, they have carefully included the exits and inroads to the present Olympic National Forest, National Park, and wilderness areas, north, south, east and west.

This state has already established numerous national forest and wilderness areas comprising millions of acres. These government controlled parks and forest, in many instances are not managed to get the best results from them. I believe we should save some areas of old growth trees through the state, but after so many it becomes ridiculous. When trees die of old age they cease to eat up carbon dioxide like our young trees do. It also takes a great deal of oxygen to decompose them and return them to dust. They are takers instead of givers.

When studying the facts, it becomes evident that this government seizure is only set up to control the populous; not improve anything we have. This federal administration's theme of redistributing the wealth promotes socialism, and as we can see by the fires of deadly chaos around the globe at the present time, it doesn't work. I feel certain that the federal government should be abdicating, or selling many of the lands they now hold, to private enterprise. It would promote two important outcomes. First, the federal government would receive much needed income, and secondly, the tax base would be greatly increased, which would help the states in which the land lies and the federal government with more income tax revenue.

It's time we step forward and refute these ideas of the federal government. They should be trying to pay off the national l debt and balance the budget.

It's time to contact Norm Dicks our representative, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, our senators, and Terry Willis and Mike Wilson our country commissioners (Herb Welch already knows this is a bad take-over) and urge them to fight against this attempted land grab.

We might also contact the county commissioners of Jefferson, Mason and Clallam counties, for they are also seriously affected.

Let us get our backs up and stop this additional intrusion into our private lives.

Rex B. Valentine

Elma