Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Larson. My name is N. Keith Larson. I live at 6247 Northview in Boise, Idaho. My occupation is cargpentry and home building and I offer this testimony to support no increase in wilderness in Idaho or limited 480 increase as supported by the Idaho Forest Industry Council. In my occupation I help to meet people's need for adequate housing at a price they can afford. So much of our building products are provided by the lumber in dustry and they try to meet our demand effectively and peacefully. They would not be in operation if their products were not used. As one example, the curtailment of cutting of forestry defined lumber products has increased dramatically in the last 15 years. D pine went up from $300 per thousand board feet in 1969 to over $1,000 to $2,000 at this time, the dimension lumber from $100 in 1969 to over $300 at this time. Our lumber industry has been very efficient and they have tried to make the best of the cuts that they do have. We are now using trusses and roof material that uses have in some of the products that our lumber industry has made. I have a TJI here. There's finger-joint material and using knotty pine and yet cutting the veneer to stretch our lumber supplies sc that I have something to use. We're using finger-jointed studs to get everything out of the trees that are cut in the most efficient way possible. As they say, the only thing wasted now in the lumber industry is the scream of as sault. When we lock up our forests, the woods go to waste. When trees mature they die. They do not wait for another 50 years to be used. We need wood products. To lock up our forest when there is such a need would be the same as not harvesting a field of grain when it is ripe and ready by the people, leaving people in need. I have backpacked many times in the Sawtooth Wilderness Area. have gone to and from Atlanta over the trail to Grandjean on foot. I've camped on the shores of the high mountain lakes. I've been a scoutmaster and have used the forest areas on our outings. When I was a boy as a boy scout and was an Eagle Scout, I loved the wilderness. But I can also see the need for properly managed multiple use forests. When one goes into the wilderness areas and sees the prime lumber wasting away due to old age, it is a waste that we should not have a great deal of. Lumbering, mining, and recreation can coexist very well in our forest land for everyone's benefit. Lockup is not the answer. Multiple use is the answer. Thank you.