Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Cook. Thank you, Senator. My name is Jeffrey Cook. I'm an avid outdoor recreationist. I love the Idaho back country, and I cross-country ski all winter. I've climbed many of the peaks men tioned, I've run the rivers on the rafts, and I like to ride trail mo torcycles to help explore our back country. I support the multipleuse concept of land management and I will explain the basis for this position and provide some testimony on specific areas support ing this multiple use. I'm an active member of the Idaho Trail Ma chines Association, about 500 members statewide, and one of the 25,000 off-road motorcyclists in Idaho. Last year our association 776 helped clear and maintain 584 miles of trails in national forests. We assisted the Forest Service in obtaining funds from the State off-road vehicle fund to improve trail design, eliminate erosion, re route trails, and this benefits all users, hikers, horsemen, trail bikers, alike. I'm also a member of the Idaho Trails Council, a group that is working to improve the cooperation and understanding between all types of trail users. A few years back I got a Keep Idaho Green Award from our Governor because, using my trail bike, my sons and I discovered a fire burning back in the back country. We were able to quickly get out and get some help before it spread into a dangerous situation. So my contention is that trail bikes can be a benefit to the envi ronment. And through multiple use management, Forest Service has improved the wilderness, characteristics can be preserved, all these areas provide wonderful back-country opportunities. The wil derness designation really restricts management options. You could have fire damage due to not being able to get fire crews in, decayed timber would not be harvested, less trail maintenance, you would lose the volunteer work that our organization does. Also, nonmotorist trails are unavailable in multiple-use areas in our national forests through their ORV travel plan. In the Forest Service publication called 'Leave No Trace,' where they're teach ing wilderness skills, they're suggesting that lots of exciting backcountry areas that offer more solitude than some highly publicized wildernesses can actually increase the pressure on it. In the Big Holes, we definitely support no wilderness. A multi ple-use option for that, there have been ORV fundings spent in that area to improve the Black Canyon Trail to get it out of the gulley and up on the side hill where it won't erode. And there's no conflict for the present multiple use. I've skied across the country for 3 days and it was a welcome sign to see some snow machine tracks so I could get a little glide going on the way out. And, also, in cross-country skiing, some of the clearcut slopes offer some of the best downhills for cross-country skiers. So in the Lemhis, again, extensive areas are available for nonmotorized use. I've experienced true solitude climbing Saddle and Bell Mountains. I've used my trail bikes to get up to the base of those, and I think the multiple-use concept will still provide all with their choice of recreation in these areas. I would like to make a comment to the White Clouds, that many of the trails in the White Clouds are now closed to motorized use. There are some trails that are open that are the only trails, or one of few trails, in the State that are suitable to take a notice rider on.