Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Cox. Thank you, Senator McClure, My name is Royce G. Cox. And I've enjoyed the good quality of life in Idaho for some 43 years. All made possible by this wonderful forest resource we're discussing today. I commend you, Senator McClure, and the others for holding these hearings in Idaho close to the people who will be most directly affected by resolution of the roadless controversy. I agree that this issue should be resolved as soon as possible. I say this because one highly important aspect of multiple use, and I add sustained yield, forest resource management is the necessity of controlling fire, insects, and disease. Adequate road access is essential for this intensive management which is not currently possible in the roadless areas. I personally am saddened by the unnecessary loss of timber and esthetic values which has occurred al758 ready in the roadless areas, particularly in the highly valuable stands of white pine from a combination of blister rust and bark beetles. The longer management is delayed, the greater these losses become. As you know, I'm a retired professional forester with a longstanding interest in wilderness and 40 years experience in the protection, management, and utilization of privately owned, industrial forest resources. In addition, my wife and I own a small tree farm near Orofino which we hope to pass on to our children and grandchildren. As you also know, I've testified many times in support of the preservation of a reasonable acreage of wilderness on Federal public lands, including testimony of the hearings on the original wilderness bill and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. From a purely selfish viewpoint, I should support maximum wilderness preservation because the resulting decrease in available commercial timber would automatically increase the economic value of my tree farm. However, while I am still strong and while I still strongly support wilderness, I firmly believe the acreage designated should not jeopardize the total environmental health of our society which includes jobs and other economic considerations as well as esthetic, wildlife, and accessible outdoor recreation. In my opinion, Idaho already has nearly enough high quality wil derness. Therefore, in general, I support the Idaho Forest Industry Council's proposal for adding some 500,000 to 600,000 acres of wilderness to the 3.8 million acres already designated in Idaho. In conclusion, I don't know whether this has been discussed yet, as a possible compromise on the roadless-wilderness issue, I propose that Congress and the U.S. Forest Service reconsider the Forest Service's designation of additional areas similar to the MallardLarkins Pioneer Area. This concept makes sense to me in that within some of the smaller primitive-type but relatively accessible areas, a minimum of amenities is permitted; such as, pit toilets and pack-stock hitching rails but no timber harvesting. This makes such areas much easier to manage from sanitation and vegetation protection standpoints. Thank you, Senator, for the opportunity to present this statement.