Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Myers. Thank you, Mr. McClure. I'm Bob Myers of Boundary County. I have lived there for the majority of my life. I am a farmer, logger, and truckdriver. And I am active in numerous community organizations. I am here representing the Farm Bureau Organization of Boundary County, 424 members strong, and the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, 222,512 members strong. I will read resolution No. 60 from the Idaho Farm Bureau policies for 1983 on the subject of wilderness. We oppose any additions of land to the wilderness and roadless areas and will support efforts to reduce the amount of land in wilderness status in Idaho. Some of the people who support wilderness areas are of a nogrowth lobby who support the idea of a ban-the-people movement to remote areas of our State. They have the deeprooted thought that trees, flowers, and animals are more desirable than man. And if they had their druthers, perhaps we would end up with a population that consists of 47 human beings and 200 million snail darters. They are determined to accomplish these objectives at whatever cost to society. Such public lands are enormous in scope. They comprise about one-third of the area of this country. This vast environment can be both protected and developed. America needs more energy, more minerals, more timber, and more agricultural grazing lands. Under past administration of Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus, we did not have an oil and/or gas lease issued onshore Alaska since the mid-1960's or a major lease issued since the early 1970's. Applications have been pending for oil and gas leases in the Government—in the overthrust belt of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho for the past 10 years.