I looked at the mission statement of the Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/mission.shtml). One of the first things you read is a quote from the first chief of the Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, who summed up its purpose: “… to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run.” The site goes on to explain the Forest Service’s mission, motto, vision and guiding principles and mentions all sorts of noble and worthy things, such as, “advocating a conservation ethic,” “listening to people” and “(being) sensitive to the effects of our decisions on people and resources.” I looked hard, but I couldn’t locate anything that could be interpreted as serving individual over public needs or accommodating an individual because they made a land purchase without access. Everything on the site is about the land and people.

I hope that when the Forest Service opens public comment on the Zink road proposal, it actually listens to the land owners of Hidden Valley. After all, it is the land of the people that Zink wants to alter for his own personal benefit. As it says on the Forest Service Web site, “The American people can count on the Forest Service to perform.” It sure would be nice to see at least one government agency live up to that statement.

Mark Pastore

Durango