Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Shelton. I served as a county attorney for awhile. I live in Bonners Ferry. And I also served as the chairman of the Environmental Balance Committee for a term. A committee of the chamber of commerce. About 4 years ago, the Panhandle area council prepared a study of the Boundary County economy. And they reported to the commissioners and the city council and the chamber of commerce. And they told us that we were drastically overly dependent of the timber industry. And they said that we have a lot of trees up there, but the ecology doesn't raise trees that well. They grow trees a lot faster over on the coast. And your long-term future is not in timber. I for one am not convinced that we have to log Long Canyon. I think if we had wilderness status, it would enhance our ability to attract recreation. I think that our future may be led more in recreation than certainly in timber. Long Canyon is obviously a controversial issue. It was politicized some years back. There are wilderness terms that are used instantly now. It's pretty hard to come up with a clear, easy answer. And in that case, I'm inclined to reserve options until I'm convinced that we need the timber. I'm inclined to preserve it as it is for its value as a recreation area. I think that unless wilderness status is given Long Canyon now, it sure ought to be logged, I think. And the only way to preserve that option is to put it in wilderness now and beyond that later.