Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

REBELLION, INC. Mr. Ross. Thank you. I am Bill Ross, cattle rancher from Jordan Valley, Oreg. I have cattle in Idaho as well as Oregon. I am also president of an organization called Sagebrush Rebellion, Inc. at the present time. I'm going to address the issue of desirability of increasing the wilderness rather than arguing on the specific location that should or should not be wilderness. I think that in the State of Idaho there is an unlimited potential for wilderness. We can assess all that we are studying now and swallow it up in the wilderness program and that doesn't satisfy anyone very shortly. The same people are coming back and asking for another area. And we are darn sure there's some that qualify. I think that we should certainly have enough wilderness for now and the foreseeable future in Idaho. Good heavens, when you look at the tremendous amount of land that is locked up in wilderness at the present time that is taken out of the purview of lands that should be developed or can be utilized for economic purposes, I think that Idaho has done its part for this country in providing wil derness untrampled — what do you call it? — land where a man is a visitor. I don't believe enough people benefit from it. Certainly not enough Idaho citizens. I don't think we need to provide all of our State as a giant play ground for the masses from the metropolitan areas and the rest of the country. I really and sincerely believe that we have done our part, that we have contributed enough wilderness and should lock it up. Hard release, that sounds like a deal. Let's get it over with and get it done.