Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

IDAHO ROD AND GUN CLUB Mr. Strand. Senator McClure, Senator Symms, members of the committee, my name is Spencer Strand. I represent the Central Idaho Rod and Gun Club, which is headquartered in Challis, Idaho, and I am a past president of this organization which has been in existence and active for over 35 years. The following testimony was given at the wilderness hearing in Salmon, Idaho, in May of 1979. In August of 1983 we reaffirm those convictions and I will thus make the following statement. The proposed wilderness concept if enacted is thought to mean preservation of our lands in their natural state, untouched by modern technology. It is thought to be a place where all people can visit to experience nature to its fullest. It is a concept that seems to be favored by large numbers of the Nation's population. What is sad is that the people, by large, that favor expansion of the wilder ness areas to this exaggerated extent, have been misinformed and do not really understand the true consequences of such a measure. At present, we have our Federal lands governed by the U.S. Forest Service, the BLM, and other governmental agencies and managed under the multiple use concept. By multiple use we mean recreation, conservation, hunting, fishing, logging, mining, grazing, and industry. The term, multiple use, in our opinion, means maxi mizing the use of the lands is as many ways as possible, to benefit as many people as possible, without destroying its natural gran deur. The governmental agencies established to manage these lands have done a very thorough job in accomplishing this goal. The wilderness concept that seems to be the popular choice of many Americans should also be considered. As mentioned before, wilderness under the multiple use concept means using the wilder ness for as many uses as possible without destroying its natural beauty. Under the wilderness concept these lands will have only one use, that being recreation under the disguise of preservation. What is really sad about this concept is that it will benefit only a few people. Those people who favor wilderness because of preserva 768 tion and recreation for all Americans have been misinformed. What wilderness will mean for the vast majority will be exclusion. Those being excluded will be the very young, the very old, the physically handicapped, and anyone in general not having the time or money to visit these areas. It will be a great place for a small minority of greed Americans who have effectively conned the ma jority of their fellow countrymen into creating a private play ground for themselves. After reviewing the concept of wilderness versus nonwilderness, we the members of the Central Idaho Hod and Gun Club go on record unanimously as opposing any increase in wilderness areas. Our club has always been in favor of conservation. We also recog nize the rights of man to make a living. In addition, we believe in the responsibility of industry and government to supply the needs of all Americans whether it be jobs or the supplying of goods and services so necessary to our survival. The only way that all of the needs of all Americans can be fulfilled equally is by keeping our lands under the multiple use management concept.