Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

LEAGUE Ms. Leach. Senator McClure, I am here to speak for the Idaho Conservation League's proposal, the endangered Idaho wildlife core. Wilderness. In his book, 'The Primal Minds', Jamake Highwater responds to the word wilderness. He says: I am often appalled by what is implied by the description. After all, the forest is not wild in the sense that it is something needing to be tamed or controlled or har nessed. For Blackfeet Indians, the forest is the natural state of the world. So what shall we do about our Idaho wilderness? How do we see these forests, these lands, these mountains, rivers, lakes, and all the wildlife therein? We can choose to see with eyes for the x number of board-feet or x number of dollars to be made, or we can see the qualitative rather than the quantitative values of our wilderness areas. We can see the quality of time in places untouched and un spoiled. We can see as we envision our children's children and their longings for wilderness and the natural resources that might be tapped in their time. It says something about us when we can set aside land rather than try to manipulate it and dominate it. It says that we care about the Earth. And, folks, Idaho is the Earth, too. So let us coop erate with Nature rather than trying to win it over, for as Highwater states: 'In the process, we can lose ourselves.' Senator McClure, along with many, many others, I am counting onyou to guard well our Idaho wilderness. Idaho is the Earth, too. Thank you.