Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Barrett. Senator, ladies and gentlemen of the panel, I am Lenore Barrett. My husband and I and our family live in Challis, Idaho, county seat of Custer County. My husband works on the na tional forest. Bless his little heart, he's been a good provider. Frankly, I would like to sustain him in that capacity. You have already heard testimony from Senator Vearl Crystal and Representative Jo An Wood as to the negative impact that an additional wilderness would have on our worldly economy. I would like to just comment here that Representative Wood, Senator Crys tal, and Representative Ray Infanger right here from district 20 have the support of the majority of the people in the district; they won our elections. I do not therefore propose to elaborate on their already submitted and very excellent testimony. I would like to reemphasize that Custer County needs its natural resource industries. Contrary to the image being created by the en vironmentalists, resource industries do not pilfer from public lands. They only supply the demand. No demand, no supply. In further opposition, I would also mention that our existing re source industries in the county, large and small, do manage to produce under the multiple-use concept and the close scrutiny of multiple State and Federal agencies, but it is somewhat akin to mashing all the toes on one foot; you can still walk but you limp a lot. Even so, the frying pan is better than the fire. Lastly, I do have a twinge of conscious when I am confronted by well-meaning people who are terrified that there will be no natural resources left for our subsequent generations. Then I recall the 694 story of the rich man who hoarded his abundant grain in his mag nificent barns. Satisfied that he had provided adequately for his future, he could now take his ease; he proceeded to eat, drink, and be merry, only to hear the inevitable pronouncement, thou fool, this night thou soul shall be required of thee. We have no guarantees. If my family can keep from starving today, maybe we will be able to repeat the same success tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. The bell has not rung. I must add this P.S. prompted by some comments from the preceding panel. God did indeed create our wil derness area, He created the whole kit and caboodle in 6 days and rested on the 7th. And when He was in the process of creation, He threw a whole bunch of minerals into the State of Idaho. Thank you.