|
Pinkerton announces bid for commission
seat |
|
February 20, 2012 |
 Lee
Pinkerton, a resident of Bonners Ferry, has
announced his Republican bid for the District 1
position on the Boundary County Board of
Commissioners. This position is currently held
by Ron Smith.
Pinkerton was born and raised in Bonners Ferry,
where he graduated from Bonners Ferry High
School in 1978. While working as a logger for
nine years, mostly in Boundary County, Pinkerton
attended North Idaho College where he earned an
Associate of Arts and Science Degree in Forestry
Technology.
“As a Boundary County resident, I am an advocate
for the timber industry and believe it to be
critical to our economy, the education of our
children and the future of our way of life,"
Pinkerton said. "If elected commissioner, my
goal would be to ensure that our lifestyle in
Boundary County can thrive and our children can
have a future here.”
Pinkerton began his public service career by
joining the U.S. Border Patrol in 1987 and
proudly served our country during a successful
career spanning over two decades.
As a Border Patrol agent, he served in various
locations and positions throughout the United
States, mostly in the southwest.
“As I rose through the various levels of
management, I learned to be an effective leader
and manager for my agency," he said. "In 2001, I
transferred to Spokane, Washington, where I
became an assistant chief patrol agent. As an
assistant chief, I shared oversight
responsibilities and the operations of seven
stations in three states consisting of more than
300 employees. I conducted business with various
groups, organizations and individuals, as well
as high level representatives of county, state,
federal and foreign agencies. I retired in May,
2010.”
Pinkerton is married and has five children,
three of whom attend school Valley View. His
wife, Missy, is currently a part-time employee
at Valley View Elementary School.
Pinkerton states that having been raised in
Bonners Ferry, he developed a great love and
respect for the people, the lifestyle, and the
area within Boundary County. He enjoys an active
lifestyle that drives him into the outdoors,
where he enjoys all kinds of activities.
Being an avid hunter and fisherman, he is a
passionate user of the national forests and
especially enjoys camping and exploring the area
on horseback.
Pinkerton regards the recent actions of the
federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, that are involved in the plan
to create 375,562 acres of the Selkirk Mountain
Range as a Critical Caribou Habitat, as well as
the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed Forest Plan
and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS),
a direct assault on Boundary County.
“I will not sit and watch as the land managers
continue to close our forests," he said. "I will
challenge these managers and hold them
accountable to the needs of the people of our
community. Through coordination, I intend to
ensure that our national forests can once again
supply us with the timber production required
for our county’s success while restoring the
health of the forest and reestablishing a true
multiple use forest system. I believe that our
county has much to offer. Our commissioners must
start to think outside the box and collectively
find other productive ways to stimulate economic
growth and produce much needed employment
opportunities. We need to expand current
infrastructure, search out new industry, and
draw prospective markets to our county.”
The 51 year old Pinkerton serves as a volunteer
on the board of trustees for the Boundary County
Museum and is also a volunteer non-officer
reserve for the Boundary County Sheriff’s
Department.
The primary election will be May 15, 2012. To
make a contribution to Lee’s campaign, please
write a check out to “Pamala M. Barton
Treasurer," and send it to 353 Kootenai Trail
Road, Naples, ID 83847. |
|
|
|
|
