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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Suit seeks to overturn Medford's pot ban ... Kids learn life lessons in preparation for auction at Jackson County Fair ... One dam at a time ... Suit seeks to overturn Medford's pot ban ... Kids learn life lessons in preparation for auction at Jackson County Fair ... One dam at a time ... FEDERAL LANDS Commissioners won't object to BLM road closures Closures planned in wildfire site Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 27, 2015 at 4:36 PM Updated Jan 27, 2015 at 5:23 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 27, 2015 at 4:36 PM Updated Jan 27, 2015 at 5:23 PM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this story? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter. » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this story? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter . » Social News The Jackson County Board of Commissioners won't send a letter objecting to planned BLM road closures despite concerns by newly elected Commissioner Colleen Roberts about a loss of public access to federal lands. Roberts was concerned enough about Bureau of Land Management plans to close about two miles of roads that she toured them herself. The area of the closure east of Ashland was charred by last summer's Oregon Gulch wildfire. County Administrator Danny Jordan said BLM must close roads if the agency wants to build new logging roads to access forests for timber harvest. Road closure miles are "banked" across BLM lands to allow for new road construction elsewhere. "If you decide not to support a decision to close roads, then you're also deciding not to give them the tools they need to harvest timber," Jordan explained to Roberts, who took office as a commissioner this month. "If you don't have a bank of roads, you can't even bid a timber sale." Jordan said the county gets notices of planned road closures two or three times each year. Roberts ran on a platform of taking as much local control over federal lands as possible and making use of natural resources. All three commissioners are Republicans. Commissioner Doug Breidenthal — who is in the midst of a four-year term and is the most seasoned member of the three-person commission — said he now sees the wisdom of trying to be a good partner with federal government agencies and objecting only to road closures that have serious negative consequences for residents. "Sometimes political statements are significant and sometimes they are not significant," Breidenthal said. "If you cry 'wolf' too many times, you lose that impact. I came in wanting to save every single road. But now I'd rather have a voice on roads that could really impact our citizens." Roberts, Breidenthal and new Commissioner Rick Dyer agreed not to send a letter objecting to the road closures. "There is a need for road closures to allow for new roads for timber harvest," said Dyer, who also took office this month. For her part, Roberts said, "I'm for harvesting timber as a priority." She noted she is still concerned about road closures on federal land. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 27, 2015 at 4:36 PM Updated Jan 27, 2015 at 5:23 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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