Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Tobias. Senator McClure, ladies and gentlemen, I am Nelle Tobias, a native Idahoan and a resident of McCall for over 40 years. There I have observed the use and misuse of our national forest lands. Today Idaho ranks immutable as a treasury of extremely differ ent and yet closely interrelated geologic communities of plants and animals, including humans. In addition to forage, timber, and minerals, even more important products from these communities are air and water. Without either one, life ceases. No one has systematically plumbed the potential of other vital products out there. Spot checks have discovered enough to know that the so-called years of study may have covered the obvious, but little else. One needs only to fly over the forests to see the extent of brutal clearcuts. Slides onto highways often reflect the removal of cover above by overroading, logging, or grazing. Silted fish spawning beds and plugged reservoirs tell of mismanaged forests. Idaho is my friend. 1 love it. I can do no less than defend it when it is threatened by such attack. I urge the following three measures of defense: First, close no options to future wilderness protection for any Idaho land. Second, set-aside large tracts as a permanent wilderness savings account. Roughly, this includes all of the as-yet unroaded areas proposed as alternative W under RARE II. Third, give priority wilderness protection to the following areas now threatened by development. They are Salmon-Payette Crest, Rapid River drainage, and Gospel-hump extension, all in the Payette National Forest and the endangered core areas. I particularly urge wilderness for the Salmon-Payette Crest. I also urge annexation of Upper Hazzard Lake and Bruin and South Bruin Mountains to round out the French Creek community.