Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Henslee. Yes. Senator McClure, panel memers, my name is Paul Henslee, and as president of Idaho Alpine Club, I represent approximately 150 concerned wilderness users. Our membership uses the national forest of Idaho on a weekly basis throughout the year for a number of widely varying activities, including hiking, climbing, cross-country skiing, white-water rafting, kayaking, trail clearing, and maintenance, fishing, and hunting. It is my understanding that, included in the charter of the na tional forests, and yourself as an elected official, is the mainte nance of water quality through watershed preservation, fisheries, wildlife, research, and recreation. As a representative of a conservation-oriented organization, I must implore you to take a conservative approach to the proposed wilderness legislation. It is obvious from your statements that you are not prowUderness and, therefore, nonconservative with respect to the dispensation of Idaho's, as well as the Nation's, natural re sources. Since the fundamental future character of Idaho is being decided here, not just outdoor opportunities on 6 million acres of Federal land, we must take the conservative approach. The conservative approach to this wilderness issue which the Idaho Alpine Club endorses is the banking of our natural resources for future generations to enjoy and to use as the need appears, not the widespread exploitation of our natural resources for the poten tial gain of a few in the timber or mining industries. All too much attention has been paid to the few who seek to exploit Idaho's lim ited natural resources for some minor capital gain. The timber in dustry is a perfect example in the State of Idaho where, in the Targhee for example, deficit timber sales have taken place time after time to an industry with more than adequate backlog of re sources. I cited some examples here. And I question, is this indus trial socialism or is there room for those of us who do not make a profit from the Nation's resources to break even or perhaps gain? Accordingly, the Idaho Alpine Club endorses the 10 Endangered Idaho Wilderness Core Areas whose fish and wildlife habitat are most threatened by ill-advised commercial development: Palisades, Garns Mountain, North Lemhis, Boulder/White Clouds, Sawtooth Completion, Salmo-Priest, Payette Crest, Great Burns/Cayuse 724 Creek, Long Canyon/Selkirk Crest, and Mallard-Larkins. We addi tionally support wilderness designation for the Borah Peak, Lion head, Pioneer, Diamond Peak, Cache Crest, and Italian Peak Road less Areas on specific wildlife and recreational considerations too long to list. The Idaho Alpine Club further opposes hard release for any fur ther planning area not included in current wilderness legislation. Eastern Idaho possesses many such areas along the Overthrust Belt with possible oil and gas deposits, take the Palisades area, for example. No discoveries have been made, and seismic testing is just underway. We feel banning any further planning area from later wilderness considerations merely because it might contain oil and gas would be poor planning and a mockery of past public input on national forest management plans. Thank you.