Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Binnall. Hello. I'm Barbara Binnall from Bonners Ferry. The reason I am here today voicing my hopes for the designation of Long Canyon as wilderness area is that I am a mother. As a mother of two sons, I want my children and my grandchildren to have the privilege tomorrow of seeing pristine virgin land which I can see today. I want to protect at least a small part of God’s creation from man's industrious hand so that my children and other children can experience the awe and the peace that unsullied nature brings. I believe that one of our unique human attributes is that we are moved when we see something naturally beautiful, be it a wildflower or an ancient cedar, a clear stream or a mighty ocean. Something in us rings clear and true, we know that this is good. We sense something of God’s goodness. Our soles are ennobled, and we become refreshed from the healing powers of nature, and we can go back to face the hectic and often crazy work-a-day world. I question the logic and the ethic of the thought process which sees a tree only in the terms of dollars and cents. It is my understanding that the trees of Long Canyon represent only a small 2.9 percent of Boundary County's marketable timber. Consequently, if these 100- to 200-year-old trees of Long Canyon were protected in a wilderness area for future generations, it would be no great loss to the logging community. And if in the passing of time beetles or fires or fungus should destroy the trees, then that, too, would be a small loss to the economy. Furthermore, if the beetle or fires did finally destroy the trees, and that could be human generations from now, at least we humans could appreciate and learn from the natural growth and order which has stood or changed for the test of time.