Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Owens. My name is Christine Owens and I live here in Coeur d’Alene. I am very proud to be a native of Idaho, born in Sun Valley when the Sun Valley Lodge was a hospital surrounded by hay fields and horse pastures and no condominiums. We have lived here for 5 years and before that in Salmon, both areas of tremendous beauty, and dependent on ranching, mining, and the timber industry. I have stood by watching, remaining uninvolved and hoping that someone else would do the work to stop the development of some of our most beautiful wilderness areas. Well, someone did save the River of No Return Wilderness in Salmon for me, but I am here today to let you know that there are more people like me who want to keep the bulldozers and helicopters out of Long Canyon and other significant areas of wilderness. Long Canyon should be protected from mining and logging, not just because of its beauty, but because of its geological and environmental value. It should not just be classified as a roadless area, but protected forever. The ancient cedars, are some of the last of their size in this State. The cedars and the pines are so thick that the forest industry merely wants to thin them out a little, although that very denseness creates a dark forest canopy where the grizzly bears, elk, deer, trout and mushrooms all abound because they are safe from the easy grasp of man. You yourself said in your last visit here that your favorite fishing stream was fished out as soon as a logging road was put in next to it because the road gave easy access to everyone. It should be obvious to you by the abundance of testimonies here that Long Canyon is an area which the people want protected. Pleast take into consideration all the facts that have been given to you today, as well as the opinions which are not based upon fact, but on foresight, an honest value for nature.