Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Wilson. Senator McClure—thank you, Senator McClure, for the hearing, and thank you and your staff for your attendance. My name is Peter B. Wilson, and I'm a practicing—general practitioner of the law in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and I have resided there for my entire life—virtually my entire life, and the nature of the area has assisted my wife, Rhoda, and me to raise a fine family of four sons. Before proceeding, I would like to mention, Senator, that Neil Walter in panel 14 will be unable to attend today because he has a contested court hearing, couldn't get out of it; and that the two Vinions on this panel will not be attending because they're attending to our other resource in the community. They are harvesting wheat. I've been in most parts of Boundary county, either while fishing or while doing summer work with the U.S. Forest Service or while just driving around enjoying the beauty of the area. The economy of Boundary County is principally based on the timber resource. Probably 70 percent of the economy arises from that resource. Another 25 percent of our economy is founded on the agricultural resource. The remaining 5 percent comes from tourists and retirees. In the past few years our annual allowable cut has been reduced from 55 million board feet per year to about 35. This is a very serious reduction. Because the allowable cut is now so low, any further cut of any kind courts disaster to us in Boundary County. The public as a whole, and it's as I feel in our area, wants multiple use. This can be ascertained from the 1,500 letter writers and petition signers that contacted the U.S. Forest Service on RARE II. Sir, you have copies of those documents, and I respectifully request that they be inserted in your record of this hearing. We would also like to point out that within this area, 35 miles from Bonners Ferry there is an area that we are not contesting for wilderness, the Salmo Priest. Also, within 20 miles of Bonners Ferry is the Pioneer Area of the Boulder Creek Unit. Just across the Montana line there is a wilderness area in the Bull Lake country. And just to the southwest of us is Scotchman's Peak. It would seem that that should be sufficient for the minority that desires to have the wilderness area. Thank you.