Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

ASHTON, IDAHO Ms. Jenkins. Thank you. My name is Robin Jenkins, and I repre sent C&B Timber Products in Ashton, Idaho. Our company is en gaged in logging and production of other timber-related products. We do have some questions and concerns on the issue of more wilderness area. We have these questions, first as a company, sec ondly as part of the timber industry as a whole, and third, and probably the most important, as citizens who love the forest lands. How many people can actually use and enjoy wilderness? How many more people could enjoy the beauty of this area if they could take a vehicle into these areas? What about the elderly, the young, and the disabled? Is it really fair to shut these people out simply because they cannot hike or ride horses in? We who work in the timber industry love the forest lands as much as or more than anyone else. Not only do the forest lands put the bread and butter on our tables, but it is also our playground, year round. We want it managed in such a way that our forest lands will be there for generations to come, for everyone to utilize and enjoy. How many of you have homes built with wood products of some kind, The initial cost of a home is our of reach for some people now. How much more expensive will these wood products and ma terials be when the timber industry starts having difficulty obtain ing the raw material? How many people have woodburning stoves, fireplaces, or fur naces as their main source of heat? How many of these people would be hard pressed to pay an ever-increasing utility bill if they couldn't use wood to help heat their homes? It will become harder and harded to find or obtain firewood as the forest areas are eaten up by wilderness areas The wilderness proposals will very slowly and quietly begin to squeeze the logging industry. It will become more and more diffi cult to find the raw material. As the industry feels the pinch, they will layoff workers. This will have a trickle-down effect on other industries that use the loggers' product, such as the building indus 722 try, mines, and paper companies. Their products would be more ex pensive, and would be produced by fewer people. High unemploy ment for long periods would add to the food stamp line and the crowd in the welfare office. The logging industry pays, and pays dearly, for the timber they harvest. That money, in turn, is put into reforestation and conser vation projects to insure that we will have forests in the future. Much of eastern Idaho's timber harvest is made into 2 by 4's without which the building industry would slump. The remaining timber goes into dry lumber products, chips for fuel, and paper and plain old garden-variety firewood. The timber industry is, in effect, the beginning of a chain that grows and branches, supplying many other industries and employing many people. We are very definitely against any further wilderness proposals as they would benefit very few people for recreation or for busi ness. Thank you.