Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Bowler. I'm Melinda Bowler, and I am speaking for myself and my family. I would like at least 50 percent of the remaining 6.5 million acres of Forest Service roadless land protected. Please include in legislation the Endangered Idaho Wilderness Core as sponsored by the Audubon Society. Final boundaries and acreages to be presented to Senator McClure in October. Please do not include hard release language in Senator McClure's bill. I would like those lands which are roadless at the start of the next forest planning cycle to be studied again for wil derness. I would like wilderness designation for the following reasons: I personally have enjoyed wilderness/roadless areas as a backpacker, cross-country skier, mountain climber, rafter, and as a fire lookout. I want my son to enjoy the same. Another reason is natural diver sity, also water quality. There is a higher quality of water, of un disturbed watersheds, for fish, for unsilted gravel beds that are needed for spawning grounds for salmon and trout, for wildlife, for research, recreational diversity, recreational economics. Factors besides numbers of raw acres need to be looked at. We should look at specific ecosystems we want to leave for future gen erations. We need to protect rare ecosystems, not just rocks and ice 744 should be designated wilderness, not just all snowbound areas, but areas accessible in springtime. We should consider individual areas. Areas that I would like included are Diamond Peak. I have hiked high up on this mountain. It has seven wilderness species identified by the Forest Service Bighorn sheep have been reintroduced, and bighorn sheep need undeveloped lands to survive. It has very mar ginal timber value and site productivity. It does have archeological value. The Forest Service has given it a wilderness attribute rating system of 22. Borah Peak, I have backpacked and climbed in this area. It is very high mountain country. It has scrub forest and no timber value and no mineral value. Northern Lemhi, I have backpacked many of the lakes with an exlumberman who said the timber value was very marginal. It has very fragile meadows and deep forests, excellent hiking, fishing, and hunting. And please include Worm Creek, Mount Naomi, Stump Creek, West Mink Creek; they are close by population areas, Mink Creek being a source of Pocatello's water supply. And please protect the Gams Mountain and Palisades. They are a wildlife haven of deer, elk, mountain goats, bald and golden eagles, moose. It is of minor timber value, no oil and gas has been discovered in the area. It has good hiking trails and cross-country skiing. Good trout streams and spawning areas are found in Garns Mountain and it is accessible early in spring. West Big Hole, Pahsimeroi, Bear Creek, has important elk habi tat and interesting ridge and high valley topography not yet repre sented in the wilderness system in the West. Lionhead has rugged mountains with grizzly bear habitat, and the Italian Peaks. Again, please include the wilderness core area, thank you.