Deeply involved

The Forkstown Cut was on the front page on Dec. 14-15. Page A9 had a photo showing several Maine Forest Service personnel standing in the middle of “the clear-cut in Forkstown.” Donald Mansius, acting director of Forest Policy and Management (MFS), says there will be no information given out on the “cut” until after the case is closed. That being the case, the public will never know what the case is about or whether justice has been done. It looks like a back room deal to me.

After browsing the Registry of Deeds in Houlton, this is what I believe has happened: Champion International’s wood buyer used what is known as a “Timber Deed” to buy all the spruce-fir (19,000 cords) on a 5948 acre tract in Forkstown. He found the owner of record, Wayne H. Farrar et al. Then he found a fairly small logging outfit in Lincoln, Delaite Trucking Inc. On July 18, 1995, Wayne Farrar, et al., sold the tract to Delaite Trucking Inc. for “consideration paid.” Simultaneously, Champion agreed to pay Delaite $1.35 million for the 19,000 cords of spruce-fir. Besides the “Timber Deed,” Champion also got a mortgage deed from Delaite for the entire tract and a first option to purchase the same.

The “Timber Deed” gave Champion “… the exclusive right and privilege of cutting, removing … forest products and conducting related forest operations at any time … for three years. …” It also had “… the sole right to select the time and manner of its operations.” Further, it states that “… Champion shall abide by the Maine Forest Practices Act … concerning the removal of forest products, etc.” Diamond, in a separate agreement, the hired Delaite Trucking Inc. to cut and deliver the 19,000 cords of spruce-fir that Diamond owned to their mill in Bucksport.

It appears that since Champion had secured all the rights and privileges of “cutting and related forest operations” on the tract, that Delaite had been relegated to a position of an agent, employed by Champion to cut and remove their timber. Then it could reasonably be assumed that Champion is directly responsible for any violation that may have occurred during the operation at Forkstown.

Apparently, these views are at odds with Charles Gadzik’s, who is director of the Maine Forest Service. He says, “We deal with the land owner of record. It’s not our responsibility to understand (other factors).” I am not surprised that Gadzik takes that view, considering his position at MFS. However, the attorney general does not work in the Department of Conservation and perhaps he will come closer to my position that Champion has gotten themselves deeply involved in this case. Paul Hanson Old Town