This letter has two grand and glorious sentences. Let me quote. “From the agricultural side it would allow producers to ‘farm the best and set aside the rest.’ This would allow them to continue to farm their best lands for maximum profits and not struggle trying to make a living on the marginal lands or soils.” He refers to a new way of making money on the farm while at the same time providing for the “conservation” of the state’s wildlife...provided the landowner kowtows to the regulators and gives over control of his property for present and future generations.

Which picture shall we look at first? Let us take the one of the hunter in the fall driving across a farmer’s field with his shotgun and his dog preparing to “preserve” wildlife. Maybe we should look at the picture of the ducks on unharvested windrows on a rainy day. It’s starting to look like a profit taking day.

Now review the real picture. As of this writing, we are in our eighth day of windchills below normal; 50-60 degrees below zero most of the time. The furnace in the house won’t stop. The loader tractor won’t start and if it does the hydraulic fluid won’t flow. Human flesh freezes in less than one minute. I’m sure glad Al Gore told us it was warming up. Without that information a man could freeze to death!

Meanwhile, some members of Congress and the Legislature are taking the advice of the regulators and trying to find ways to turn private property into public property without paying for it. So on this winter night on the plains with an arctic wind blowing, the wildlife are alone trying to sustain life while the regulator sits by his fire claiming to preserve. Could it be that the USFWS is not really concerned about agriculture? We could preserve wildlife by closing hunting season. We could save the farm if we could stop funding regulators.

I have concluded the most endangered species is the private property owner; threatened by regulations. Every industry is under attack, including gas stations and power plants. Forget the spotted owl; let’s save the lumber industry!