On August 11 and August 24, a Trust committee and Trust board, respectively, voted to harvest timber on its land on Deer Mountain- Ketchikan's iconic backdrop- and a parcel in Petersburg if the federal exchange legislation is not passed by January 15, 2017 (meaning it would have to pass when the current Congress adjourns in December).

So giving someone (and I'm not questioning the qualifications of the lobbyists) a contract extending past the end of the year is very puzzling.

Why? Because either (a) the exchange legislation passes by the end of the year- and no lobbyist is needed, or (b) the exchange legislation fails to pass by the end of the year- and no lobbyist is needed because the exchange, according to the official action and position of the Trust, is dead and they will proceed to try to harvest timber.

Very puzzling indeed.