Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Svab. Good morning, Senator, my name is Larry Svab. I am a senior land man in Shell Oil Co.'s Rocky Mountain division, west ern exploration and productions. I appreciate this opportunity to appear today and present our views on the management of roadless areas in Idaho's national forests. Shell believes that the Palisades, West, area of the Targhee Na tional Forest and the Borah Peak area of the Challis National 645 Forest have considerable potential to become hydrocarbon produc ing provinces. Preliminary geological studies are encouraging. They prompt us to conclude that further studies and probes are needed to define the degree of mineral potential these areas offer. I am here principally to support the need for a multiple-use de termination for the Palisades, West, area and the Borah Peak area. We would continue our geologic studies if the Palisades, West, and the Borah Peak area are left open for multiple use, and if oil and gas leases can continually be issued. Shell's seismic work would employ methods which would not cause significant adverse environmental impacts. I can assure you that Shell is committed to conducting all of its operations in a re sponsible manner that provides adequate environmental safe guards. With the above in mind, Shell's technical staff is willing to meet privately with the committee to discuss the technical aspects of the Palisades, West, area's and the Borah Peak's area mineral poten tial. We offer our expertise in this area to help in your decision making process on this matter. The final comment we have concerns three points we wish to make about the drafting of the language for the bill. We feel they should be considered and incorporated into any wilderness bill for Idaho. No. 1, areas should be explored for their mineral potential before being locked away into a highly restricted single-use management description. No. 2, balanced wilderness legislation can only be achieved with a permanent release of lands determined to be unsuitable for wil derness. No. 3, the continual study of RARE II lands must be terminated, and the legal sufficiency of the RARE II process must be statutori ly affirmed. Shell believes that an area's subsurface resources can be poten tially as important as an area's surface resources. Thank you, Sen ator.