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.