Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Manley. Senator McClure, my name is Art Manley. I live in Coeur d’Alene. The reason—the major reason for wilderness designation is to protect very special areas whether for rare plant species, game habitat, critical watersheds or even special scenic values. That designation and protection must be by Congress if it's going to be permanent, if it's going to be meaningful. I think three areas in particular fit those qualifications in several respects, and I have hiked and backpacked in each of those three. One, of course, is Salmo Priest, which I think has—on the upper Priest River area has the only or the nearest to a rain forest in the State of Idaho that I know of, and some very special and quite rare plant species, and old-growth timber. Long Canyon, of course, has been discussed at length already, and I won't go back into that. The Mallard-Larkins area, I would particularly urge that Snow Peak be included and added to that area along with enough buffer area around in the lower country so that there are no roads close to the major areas particularly that support the largest goat herds in the State of Idaho. And those goats have been transplanted up to Pend Oreille, for instance, and ma: y other places, even throughout the country. I point out, also, that as far as the panhandle is concerned, and I would have to include the greater Spokane area because that's almost a part of us here in the use of our national forests, that we don't have a designated wilderness area within at least 5 or 6 hours of travel. Some of these areas, if designated, could cut that time in half, and there's a lot of pressure coming from these areas. Finally, I would suggest intensive management of the lands both public and private that we have not forestry would be the longrange solution. Thank you.