Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Olowinski. Senator, Congressman, I'm an attorney in pri vate practice here in Boise speaking for myself. I grew up outside of Idaho and I came here as the chief of division of natural re sources, for the Idaho attorney general. In that capacity I had an opportunity to work with both of your with the various land management agencies and with the various user groups from industry to environmental ists and based on that experience and those perspectives, I have one, I guess broad, philosophical comment to make. Idaho, at present, does not have enough or too much wilderness and in that connection I would support an extension of the wilder ness system beyond that proposed by the Forest Service and their RARE II proposal. I have personally seen the overcrowding that's existed in other wilderness areas outside the State of Idaho. And the day will come when Idaho's wilderness will face the same pressures resulting in permits for access, closing of certain areas to camping, the prohibi tion of wood fires and in the worst possible case, carrying out your excrement with you. So I believe that an extension of this system would be a farsighted measure which would do justice to the efforts that both of you have conducted in the past. As to specifics, I've been in the White Clouds and I've been in the Mount Borah area. I've also probably camped and hiked and canoed rapids in maybe 20 to 30 wilderness areas throughout the country. And these areas are as worthy of protection as any of the areas that I have seen. Two final comments. I would support soft release in any wilder ness bill. And I would like to thank both yourselves and the vari ous land management agencies for protecting as much wilderness as we have in Idaho in the present. It's a great State selves and your staff And I believe more wilderness will make it greater. Thank you.