Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

BLAINE COUNTY, IDAHO Mr. Tom Pomeroy. Hello Senator McClure. Thank you for hold ing these hearings. My name is Tom Pomeroy and I'm a member and a spokesperson for the Groundwater Alliance in Blaine County, Idaho. I, like many members in the Groundwater Alliance, moved to Idaho because of the vast amount of unspoiled, unroaded land available to us. In my 10 years of living here, I have seen much of our beautiful State and have explored many beautiful areas. The differences be tween today, August 9, and my first backcountry trips in 1974 is amazing. More people, more pressures, and more tourist's dollars make a wilderness experience that is much harder to find. The very reasons we moved to Idaho are more important than ever now. Today we are here to speak up for what we like and love about living in Idaho. To the members of the Groundwater Alliance that means saving and protecting our public, unroaded lands. We are being forced constantly to compromise and give up acre after acre of our unroaded lands to commercial interests. We all know the immense value of our high quality environment, so why now are you, Senator McClure, hurrying to make these hard re lease decisions? We ask you as citizens and taxpaying members of the State, to include every possible acre remaining in Idaho to the national wil derness system, or to carefully study these lands before releasing them for private profit. Of particular interest to our group in Blaine County is our own public backyard. The White Clouds, the Boulders, the Pioneers, are all places close to our population centers. The Payette Crest, the Lemhi Range, Borah Peak, and the Lost River Range are all areas that bring tourists to our county. We urge you to make your decisions thinking in the context of time and to protect our public wild roadless lands for our future. Good luck and thanks from the Groundwater Alliance in Blaine County.