Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN Ms. Ward. Senator McClure, Senator Symms, Representative Craig, I'm Janet Ward. I am representing the Boise branch of the American Association of University Women, which has 135 members. Thank you for the opportunity to appear at this hearing. The Boise branch of the American Association of University Women supports the Conservation coalition's proposal for wilderness designation of approximately one-half of the remaining 6.5 million acres of Forest Service roadless areas in Idaho. We are especially concerned about the 10 areas of the Conservation coalition has designated as the endangered Idaho wilderness core. For over a decade, since the hearing on the Sawtooth N.R.A., we’ve supported wilderness status for the White Clouds. We recognize the importance of wilderness as a valued recreational resource in our growing tourist industry. Available wilderness is an important factor in attracting people to work in Idaho. We recognize the values of wilderness for traditional multiple use activities: Watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and rangeland. For us, wilderness is multiple use. Wilderness has added values for scientific research and artistic inspiration. Since roadless areas offer these same multiple use activies, we oppose including the legislation release language that will preclude future wilderness designation for existing roadless areas. Roadless areas not designated wilderness should not automatically be opened to logging, a single use which limits many other uses. And I have climbed Mount Naomi and I love it; it’s terrific, it’s fabulous. Include it.