Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Holmquist. Thank you, Senator. My name is Antone Holmquist. And I'm from Troy. And I've spent much time in the wild and have worked two seasons for Canyon Ranger District, which contains about half of the Mallard-Larkins area, an area comparable to the Selway-Bitterroots in scenic value, wildlife, fishing, and hunting. There is ample elk, deer, bear, moose, badger, et cetera, plus a very suitable population of mountain goats. The Forest Service plans to extend the road up Isabela Creek to log the drainages up to the Hemlock, which is unmarketable. Now, I spent one summer surveying Canyon District roads for erosion, et cetera. And I can assure you of the country being steep and the soil being decomposed granite and unstable. But the new roads would be just like the existing ones and would tend to slide down the mountainside. We as taxpayers would pay for this road be it credits to the timber companies. The history of logging in this country is one of cutting old growth and moving on. First, the hardwood forests of the east, then westward. And now what is left is steep and hard to get to. It wasn't until post World War II housing boom that the Forest Service land was sought. If we log these last remaining lands, we will soon be in the same situation and left with nothing but rocks and snow. 722 Idaho needs to diversify its economy. The old growth timbers should be replaced by an expanding pulp industry. The southeast will be headquarters for saw logs. Wilderness provides long-term for various industries including outfitters and sporting goods stores. Hunting and fishing licenses add to the State economy. This area will continue to grow. And we need more wilderness, not less. I'm in favor of the core areas proposal by the Idaho Conservation League, et cetera. This is a moderate proposal to open up about one-half of the de facto wildernesses to multiple use. The timber industry proposal to save only 9 percent of the last parcels of wilderness is a pittance compared to the total acreage of our great state. Thank you.