Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Jones. That's me. Thank you, Senator McClure. I endorse the plan with all the 7 million acres presently roadless remain so. And I'll mention a few of these areas. Certainly the areas identi fied through RARE II should be officially designated as wilderness, also the Idaho Wilderness Core. Additional acreage should remain unroaded as buffer areas. Proximity should be strongly considered in this designation. For example, the West Fork of Mink Creek, previously alluded to by Linda, is an excellent watershed and rec reational area. It is close to Pocatello, approximately 13 miles away. Another example is Mount Naomi, which has extreme diver sity in terrain; it's in the southern part. A special case is the Lemhi Mountain Range, the longest unroad ed range in the lower United States. This is a pristine area with fragile mountains — fragile meadows, excuse me, and easily roadable soil. It has excellent wildlife habitat, and the opportunity for solitude is great there. Contrast this area with the mine along Patterson Creek, which is in the Forest Service terrain, this is an EPA nightmare. The qual ity in the area is a nightmare. We could save taxpayers money by not replacing the road on East Fork Pasture Creek that was washed out this spring. There is really no reason for this road, es pecially given the possibility of wilderness designation. Another area is the Pioneer Mountains. Once again, proximity is important, and it's one of the three great Idaho Mountain Ranges, the other two being the Lemhi and the Lost River Range. Other areas in the Idaho Wilderness Core deserve special consideration as well. The White Cloud/Boulder area, where I believe the prohibi tion on mining is needed. The Gams Mountain area, which is fairly close to Idaho Falls, and should be given consideration because access is available early in the area, which is a contrast to the rocks and ice type of wilderness that we presently have. The Garns Mountain area also has access to wildlife habitat. Palisades area, proximity again, this is an intact area with miner, timber, and mineral values and should be given wilderness designation. Despite the Multiple-Use Concept and Sustained Yield Act of 1960, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, and the Wil derness Act of 1964, Forest Service has placed heavy emphasis on short-term single-use projects. Timber and mining can be single-use projects, and in often cases are. Special interest groups, such as log gers, miners, and farming organizations, have dominated Idaho pol itics and policies, making private commission development the fore most use of public lands. What has happened to the commission of the U.S. Forest Service, which was to manage for the public good, not for private exploita tion, and to foster conservation, not waste? Though initially estab 728 lished to provide stewardship to public lands, the benefits of wilder ness or the current roadless status have been ignored in the past forest plans. Along with the benefits are watershed protection, which is the original grazing, for instance, is the reason the Forest Service was developed, scenic preservation, scientific laboratory — observations, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat. Many of these benefits are enjoyed by the people who visit areas and are not, for example, water quality, scenic values that can be enjoyed without ever having entered the area. Thank you, Senator.