Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

COMMISSION Mr. Christensen. Senator McClure, Congressman Craig, I'm Fred Christensen, a member of the Idaho Fish and Game Commis sion. I appreciate the opportunity to present the views of the commis sion on the remaining wilderness areas of Idaho and potential wil derness legislation. My recommendations to this committee on the Forest Service RARE II — are the Forest Service RARE II recom mendations of 1979 and for a possible State wilderness bill, are es sentially the same. Review of our 1979 position did not result in recommending any additional roadless areas for wilderness. However, the past 4 years have seen additional instances where fish and wildlife values have been diminished by construction of roads into previously unroaded areas, strengthening our conviction that the few remaining areas with exceptionally high fish or wildlife values must have wilder ness classification to retain these qualities. In the national forests, emphasized at this particular hearing, the commission specifically recommended wilderness classification for the roadless areas designated as 4.061, 10 miles east in the Saw tooth and Boise National Forests. This area, continuous to the northwest corner of the Sawtooth Wilderness Area, contains the Hanson Lakes and is a logical addi tion to insure the protection of the lakes and adjacent elk summer range. The commission also takes the position that any State wilderness bill should not include the so-called hard release wording. Roadless areas not classed as wilderness should come under the ongoing planning processes of the various national forests and considered for allocation to any of the various management prescriptions as provided for under the National Forest Management Act of 1976.