Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Reid. I'd like to thank you, Senator McClure, for scheduling these hearings throughout Idaho and giving us all a chance to speak. I'm a rancher's wife, and I've lived in Idaho for a longer period of time than anywhere else. I have lived in many other areas throughout the West and the Midwest, and through compari son, I believe Idaho is truly a gem State. Our wilderness areas weigh heavily in that opinion. I have hiked and backpacked in areas of the wilderness core and Eastern Idaho Wilderness area, at times with my children, one who was 3 and got along beautifully in any of those wilderness areas. The natural management of a wilderness area takes better care of itself, I believe, than does in many cases human management through multiple use. I support the 4.5 million acres to be included in the wilderness core and many parts of the Eastern Idaho Wilderness. I also support in the wilderness bill language the soft-release concept. Thank you very much.