Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Stewart. Senator McClure, my name is Melissa Stewart and I'm here on behalf of Rick Barker. Our Nation was built on the principle of free choice and the cre ation of a system which would foster personal, democratic auton omy. We are gathered here today to exercise our right as citizens and to take part in our democracy actively through these hearings. Our national forest and wilderness areas have been designated for the public and should remain that way, useful to the public as roadless areas. Future generations must have the right to free wilderness just as our founding fathers did. And I am here today to do what I can to preserve our roadless public areas as wilderness. I was raised in a family where fishing and hunting and the knowledge of wildlife and their habitats were respected. I moved from Oregon to Idaho not to make a better living, but to live better. I felt that Idaho was one of the few remaining Western States that still offered a true wilderness experience. We are here today to decide on the future of 6.5 million acres of national forest and this will affect both Idahoans and non-Idahoans alike. The economics of tourism and public use versus the economics of timber and mineral development is a valid point. But the facts and research will never outweigh the truth. And the truth is that we need this land as wilderness. And I'm not only speaking for myself as a citizen of Blaine County, but for the elk, caribou, deer, and mountain goat that in habit these primeval forests, for the salmon, steelhead, and trout that populate the unspoiled waters and for the rare golden and bald eagles who watch over this unspoiled land. I strongly urge that the 10 areas presently under wilderness con sideration be preserved as part of a national wilderness system and that if we as citizens feel that one more — that more research time is needed in certain areas that we be given the option of this time to decide on these issues through a soft release or a nonrelease classification. It took millions of years to build the beauty that is Idaho's wild land, It would take only a few to destroy it forever. Please weigh your decisions carefully. Thank you for your time.