Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

MARIES, IDAHO Mr. Chase. Senator McClure and the committee, I appreciate being able to appear here. My name is Cy Chase. I reside in St. Maries, Idaho. And I've lived here—I was born and raised in Idaho and served in the Idaho Senate for 16 years. I think I'm probably familiar with the wilderness problem and the problems of the industry and the needs and urgent needs for jobs for people in Idaho. I represent the St. Joe Valley Association. And I certainly agree with their position. St. Joe Valley Association is an organization of citizens who live along the St. Joe River in Benewah and Shoshone Counties. We strongly support the principles of multiple-use land .management and are deeply concerned with the economic health of the communities within our area. We are acutely aware of the importance of these hearings and their effect on allocation of land to specific use which will have a lasting impact on our way of life in the St. Joe Valley. We favor and support a final wilderness bill for the State. It is time that the issue reach final resolution and we get on with the business of sensible land management. In recent years the delays, withdrawals, resubmittals, and often the abandonment of timber sales has wreaked havoc with both the industry and the Forest Service. The uncertainty of timber resources has caused panic sale purchase amongst industry. This has created artificially high prices for timber stumpage that contributed to mill curtailments and closures during recent lumber market downturns. It also made the risk of capital investment to expand the industry in our area too great. Both have cost our local community jobs. We do not favor further wilderness in Idaho. There are presently some 3.8 million acres thusly classified. Enough is enough. We think it essential the land base for multiple use be preserved as it now exists. The Forest Service has broad authority to allocate use of specific areas to other than timber management. Classification of the land in multiple use rather than wilderness does not mean the land will be devastatingly logged as many wilderness advocates would attempt to have the public believe. Thank you.