Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mrs. Waldemarson. Mr. Chairman, I am Dianne Waldemarason, wife and working mother. Today you heard from many special interest groups. I also have a special interest, my children. I want my children to be healthy, to hie well educated, and to be able to explore and respect their environment. I want my children and grandchildren to have a quality life. A qaulity life depends upon a steady, reliable income. My job is indirectly paid by revenue from the timber industry. My husband’s income is directly dependent upon logging in the Nez Perce National Forest. Logging in the Nez Perce is dependent upon continued availability of harvestable timber. I believe everyone must evaluate their life and set priorities. For some, the wilderness experience is important. For others, job security is more important. One priority I have for my children is an excellent education. Currently, Idaho is ranked among the States with the lowest spending for education per student. How can public school educate Idaho's future leaders without adequate funds? The key to the future is in properly educating our children today. Money or education comes from working men and women. I also want my children to have the opportunity to enjoy the na tional forest which is our backyard. My children can learn to respect the forest and get closer to nature if vehicular access is provided. They can learn to appreciate God’s handiwork without the need for special use permits and extended backpacking trips. Idaho has contributed 3.8 million acres to the National Wilderness System. I believe it is time to stabilize the forest employment base in Idaho. Loggers, millworkers, truck drivers, teachers, mechanics, car salesmen, and many others are directly or indirectly dependent upon paychecks derived from the timber industry. Mr. Chairman, I support final resolution of the wilderness issue. I want to see the wilderness question finalized on the Nez Perce Forest. I believe that all of the RARE I and RARE II lands which were not specifically set aside as wilderness should be released for multiple-use management. There should be no compromise of the present boundaries, and further wilderness studies are unnecessary. The specific areas I would like to see released are Jersey Jack, Mallard Creek, Bargamin Creek, Running Creek, and east and west Meadow Creek. Nineteen years of study, restudy, legal action, and legislative hearings have cost taxpayers a lot of money and yielded no final answer. Recreation is an important industry nationwide. However, Idaho and the Nation, both need a viable timber industry, not locked up forests and unemployment. I urge you to support the timber industry and draft a bill that will assure jobs for my family and thousands of other families. My children, and all children, deserve a quality life. Thank you. 707