Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Gindraux. Very well pronounced. Thank you. Many people have a lot of trouble with that. Senator McClure, I'm a resident of Priest Lake. Many highly qualified individuals before me have testified with sound reasons for the urgency of protecting our wildlife. They have spoken well and with wisdom. And I concur with them and support their recommendations that we should retain all of the currently wilderness designated areas in Idaho; and, in particular, to add to it the Salmo-Priest and Long Canyon Selkirk-Crest. Beyond that, there are certain philosophical issues and historical facts that I believe cannot be overlooked. And I urge that they be seriously considered in your deliberations. By the force of creation, the complexity of life on Earth has taken 3Vz billion years to develop and coexist in a unique state in order which is essential to its fruitful continuation. Yet man per- ceives some strange right to create conditions of disorder for his 304 own selfish interests. It would appear, therefore, that something is seriously wrong with our ethos. From having the experience of residing and living and traveling over most of the globe for more than 30 years, I am deeply troubled by witnessing in our country many of the ethics and practices that have resulted in the permanent despoilation of large geographical areas that were at one time as life supporting as ours was original- iy. In our own country, more land has been covered by roads than the area of the original 13 colonies and that we are losing top soil at the cumulative rate of 45 square miles per day. These are only two of the many appalling consequences of our actions including the non-ending extinction of our wildlife, both flora and fauna. You and I are proud of a wonderful State which is blessed by more wilderness than any other State except Alaska.