Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Boccard. Thank you, Senator. I appreciate this opportunity to speak on some of the areas I'm familiar with in eastern Idaho, and I'm speaking as an individual. In 1978 the Fish and Wildlife Service started a program which at that point was called the unit 760 wildlife equal systems program which was seking to identify unusu al habitat areas in Idaho, areas with very high wildlife value for sensitive, endangered, or otherwise valuable species. The type of range cited, which are identified, was the south fork of the Snake River from Conda Valley to Heise. A large portion of that ecosys tem is included in the Garns Mountain Roadless Areas. This par ticular reach of the Snake in the tributary streams such as Burns Creek, which flows into it, support more than 20 State wildlife spe cies concerned, including a number of own-growth-depending spe cies such as the wolverine, meadowlark, and others that are very sensitive to disturbance. This area also provides wintering habitat for between 800 and 2,600 elk, deer, and moose. It's a vital wildlife paradise, and I would urge you to include it in the wilderness bill. I would also point out that this is the site of proposed Grangeville Two timber sale, in which the receipts of the timber sale would bring $20,000 to the Treasury, and yet road costs will be over $281,000. Even when you consider the entire package of other entries into this area, the Targhee National Forest is still estimated that you will get a return of 45 cents for each dollar spent in the timber sales program. Another area that I would like to support exclusively in your wil derness bill is the entire Lost River Range, Borah Peak, the Pahsimeroi, King Mountain, and Jump Off, this is a very rugged, very beautiful range with very low timber and mineral value. I would also urge that you include the entire ecosystem in this area when you draw your boundaries. I have here a photo I'd like to show you. This is of Borah Peak; the BLM land that Secretary Watt dropped from the wilderness consideration last December makes up about the lower half of this picture. As you can see, there are species of wildlife which start up on the wilderness on the side of the hill and continue down all the way down to the BLM wilderness study area. I would urge you to include that in there. It has very little contrast, but high wildlife value. I'll give this picture to you. Another area I would like to see included would be the Diamond Peak Area, which is in the southern part of the Lemhi Range. This is much like the northern Lemhis; it is a little dryer, a little less timber value, but very good for supporting bighorn sheep and other wildlife species. I would urge you to include the Black Canyon Area as part of the entire ecosystem. I also urge protection for pioneers on the Challis Forest, and in the Sawtooths. Again, this is a very rugged scenic area without standing fisher ies and other values. And I would further urge you to include on that the Little Wood River, BLM wilderness study area, that was also dropped by Secretary Watt last December because of its small size. I would, for the record, also like to recommend the Lost River Range. Thank you.