Missoula is a town that has thrived off of the timber industry. Lumber and the University of Montana have been the economic core of Missoula for over 100 years. Not to mention the US Forest Service Headquarters founded here in 1908. But the University of Montana and the lumber industry have not always seen eye to eye. As it turns out, some former UM students in the 1980's and 90's became environmental activists aiming to stop the lumber industry. One of those activist is now facing backlash in Washington DC, after being nominated as Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

According to USA TODAY

Republicans have accused Stone-Manning of giving "false and misleading" testimony about her involvement in a tree-spiking incident in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest in 1989, when she was a graduate student at the University of Montana.

"Tree Spiking" is when eco activists would hammer large spike into trees. These spikes would cause chainsaws to break when used and injure the person operating the saw.

According to The Hill

Stone-Manning used her library’s typewriter to retype an anonymous warning to the U.S. Forest Service on the behalf of a fellow member of Earth First, to inform leaders that the trees had been spiked.

Now, the former UM graduate student is nominated to oversee nearly 247 million acres of Federal Land. Land that is "public land." The Bureau of Land Management oversees one eighth of our countries land mass.

Much like anything these days, it all boils down to political lines and witch hunts. Congress is still debating over whether or not some one formerly involved with this kind of activity should get the job.

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