Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Ms. Shea. Hi, Senator. There's been a lot of talk during these meetings about the value of our trees in board feet. But I also think that there is another issue that exists in our wilderness. And that's the wildlife. So I wanted to share with you some of the information that I found out about the wildlife and how it is essential to our livelihood. This is quoted from Norman Myers' 'A Wealth of Wild Species.' Twenty years ago a child with leukemia had one chance in five for survival. Now his chances are four out of five, due to a new drug extracted from the rosy periwinkle. Sales amount to $100 million a year. Thank goodness we didn't slaughter the buffalo. For some strange reason, they are all cancer free. And from those few remaining herds immunologists may learn how to prevent the disease in humans. Likewise, researchers think that the cheetah may provide a keyhole for insights into coronary and respiratory health. The pupfish, with its high tolerance for saline water, is throwing light on human kidney failures. As to industry, woodpeckers are helping to design better crash helmets, beech trees are cleaning the air of particulate pollution, and in a few years bacteria may be mining copper. Yet, the animals on this Earth are thoughtlessly being pushed into extinction at the rate of at least one species a day. Perhaps now we can understand the importance of protecting the caribou, wolves, and grizzlies, along with thousands of other plants and animals that inhabit our forests. Even hardhearted industrialists and politicians, especially those with kidney or coronary troubles, may think twice about preserving our wilderness. I support the Idaho Endangered Wilderness Core.