Lincoln County Chief of Staff Stephen Allen stepped into the SVI Radio studio to cover multiple topics in a three part series that aired during the Weekday Wake-Up. In part three, Allen discusses the Forest Service Revision Plan, timber harvests and property taxes. Part one of the interview can be found by clicking here, and part two by clicking here.

(0:00) Chief of Staff Stephen Allen in studio this morning on the Weekday Wake-Up. (0:03) Stephen, let’s do switch directions here a little bit. I’m glad you brought up the (0:06) Forest Service because that is something that the county is focusing really heavily on with (0:10) the revision plan and we keep hearing the term designated wilderness start getting floated (0:19) around with this.

So what would that actually mean specifically in areas like the Grays River, (0:24) which is highly used for recreation and has been for locals since we came into this area. So what’s (0:32) this plan look like? When we look at wild and scenic, there were two positions they took. (0:37) And this came up at the Afton City Council.

And that’s why I do these visits that (0:40) help the councils understand where we’re going. And our position is no more wild and scenic (0:46) and no more managing it like it’s wild and scenic, right? So the Forest Service has (0:51) the designation and then they have the management-like designation. And I made it (0:56) clear to the Forest Service in Jackson when I was up there that zero on all parts.

So when we went (1:02) through the list, which was about 68 pages, we had the state forester give their points of view (1:08) on all the creeks and rivers and we had CLG also commented and then we commented as well. (1:15) And on all the ones that they had up for consideration, there was removal across the (1:23) board. And I will make it clear that Swift Creek was never on there as one.

So we don’t have to (1:29) worry about Swift Creek. And Grays River itself was not on there for that. And we’re looking at (1:34) opportunities under the forest revision to remove any of the wilderness study areas, specifically (1:39) where BLM acknowledges those, because they do kind of the same thing when they designate a (1:44) study area, an ACEC, or they manage it like that.

I’ll be down next week after I’m in Alpine. (1:51) On Tuesday, I’ll go down and be at the Rock Springs RMP and take on the BLM down there as well. (1:57) So when we look at that, we were very comfortable with the list.

Everybody lined up and took every (2:03) river, every stream off. We want no more growth. We want to make this multi-use.

This is our (2:10) recreation and our quality of life. I know the county, when you talk multi-use, (2:15) that includes logging in the forest as well, right? Timber as an industry is so important to us. (2:21) And we have a lot of, we’d like to see the Grays River open up a lot more.

And we’ve (2:25) talked to Justin Laycock as the forester up here to look at more opportunities for timber. (2:32) Adam Calkins down south, he is really working hard to open timber up. They did a timber industry (2:39) kind of tour to look at those kinds of things.

And we think there’s some opportunities that they (2:44) can maybe get a little bit deeper. I think Representative Hageman’s position on roadless (2:50) rules absolutely has to happen. And we support her 110% because her getting to that roadless rules (2:56) will allow those loggers to get deeper in the forest and get a lot more of that dead timber (3:01) that needs to be weaned out for the fire restrictions.

(3:07) Chief of Staff Stephen Allen in studio this morning. Stephen, really appreciate your time. (3:11) Thanks for fielding these questions.

Anything you would like to bring up that’s happening in (3:14) Lincoln County today? You know, the only thing we didn’t (3:16) talk about is we talked about what might be on the ballot because neither one of those have (3:21) gotten to the clerk to be on the ballot. But the one thing on the ballot is the 50% reduction (3:27) of property tax. And again, we go back to constituents need to educate themselves and (3:32) understand that that’s going to be on the ballot.

And if you vote for that, (3:36) we have a lot of special districts in Lincoln County, and that will not only cut them 50%. (3:41) And although the legislature extended the 25%, that 25% affects first primary resident holders. (3:49) This 50% is across the board.

If it’s secondary home, if it’s regardless of its primary, not (3:56) everybody gets the 50% reduction. And the other concern about that petition is it’s (4:00) two-year look back. So that means we’ll have to pay back to 2025 property tax to everybody (4:08) over those two years.

So we’re really looking at this very significantly. It will impact it. (4:15) I look at our special districts.

These are your cemeteries, your irrigation, (4:20) your improvement service districts up here, your fire districts. They will lose 50% of their (4:26) revenue to do their jobs. And when you’re in a special district, this is the freedom of the (4:31) voter to pick and agree with their neighbors to pool your money for a service that helps all of (4:37) you.

And for somebody in Cheyenne to come out and say, you’re not good enough to decide to pay for (4:42) a service you want to share, or you shouldn’t pay that much for it, shouldn’t be made in Cheyenne. (4:48) That should be made locally. And the constituents should have the rights to argue that.

So we’re (4:53) watching that one very closely because that will impact our budgets going forward if it goes past. (4:57) All right. That’s Chief of Staff Stephen Allen with the Lincoln County Commission.

It’s all (5:00) part of the weekday wake up this morning on SVI. Stephen, thank you very much. (5:04) Thank you, Duke.

Appreciate it.