Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Reed. My name is Scott Reed. I served as a member of the board of directors of National Audubon Society from 1975 until 1981. I would like to appear again at such time as the Senator introduces his Federal Anti-Billboard Control Act. And I'd be glad to testify in support of that. In the limited time allowed, my testimony will be directed wholly in support of soft release in whatever bill is introduced relating to Idaho wildnerness. As you and others campaigning for office have noted, the Federal Government makes mistakes. In my view, the causes of the major mistakes have been irrevocable commitments based upon inadequate or biased data. The greatest peacetime error may be the WPPSS fiasco. There are similarities. The decision to build five nu289 clear plants was a decision for development just as would a decision be to put logging roads into all the remaining roadless areas. Now you know, as most of the conservationists knew and said back in 1975, that it would have been far wiser to build one plant at a time. So it would also be wiser to log only those areas where the timber harvest makes economic and environmental sense. Today there are few defenders of President Carter's decision to impose a wheat embargo upon the Russians after the invasion of Afghanistan even though this hard line received nearly unanimous support at the time. Private businesses are just as capable of making mistakes based upon inadequate data and bad planning. For example, those lumber companies that ran up the prices on Forest Service sales 3 to 5 years ago have been seeking a Federal stay or bailout to relieve them from their folly in paying too much money for too much timber. It is said that a soft answer turneth away wrath. Soft release will turn away wrong.