Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Barker. Good morning, Senator. I'm John A. K. Barker, and I live in Lewiston. I am a float and power boat operator outfitter on the Salmon, Snake, and Clearwater Rivers. I would just like to summarize my testimony. I wish to support for inclusion in your bill four roadless areas and one river. They are: Big Canyon, which is RARE II No. 01853, part of the Hell's Canyon National Recreation Area at 16,500 acres; Klompton Creek, Corral Creek, RARE II No. 01854—1 hope that's not me. Part of the Hell's Canyon NRA bordered by the classified wild river section of the Snake at 24,300 acres. I feel very strongly about the last three items that I am going to ask because I hear so much input that this may be the last time around for wil- derness in Idaho. Two of them are BLM inventory areas. The con- fluence area of the Salmon-Snake, BLM, inventory No. 62-2, locat- ed along the lower Salmon River at the confluence with 5, 110 acres, and Snow Hole Canyon, BLM, inventory No. 62-1, located along the lower Salmon, also with 5,068 acres. And I would also like to ask that you consider classification of the lower 53 miles of the Salmon River in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act as a scenic river in your bill. These are requests for important reasons. But the most impor- tant one I feel is the economic benefits to the Lewiston area. People come here to raft on our rivers and to enjoy this experience. I have some data that I included from the State of Idaho Depart- ment of Economic and Community Affairs that tourism ranks as the No. 3 industry in Idaho behind only agriculture and manufac- turing and in front of timber. All of these areas have gone through the final U.S. Forest Serv- ice and BLM planning process and stand ready for classification. As you know, the Salmon River was recommended to Congress for exactly the classification I asked for in September of 1973 after a full public planning process and completion of the environmental impact statement. And I would appreciate your consideration of these ideas, and, as always, I enjoy the opportunity of sitting across the table testifying before you. And I'm sure that we will have a bill that will fit the needs of the citizens in Idaho.