Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

ASSOCIATED LOGGING CONTRACTORS OF IDAHO, INC. Mr. White. Senator—my statement—may name is H. W. Skip White. I am executive secretary of the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho, Inc. In average times we represent over 700 companies engaged in the logging business in the State of Idaho. These companies employ somewhere over 10,000 employees and harvest approximately 75 percent of the logs in the State of Idaho each year. And that harvest figure historically, Senator, has been around 1.7 billion board feet of logs a year. In the past 12 years, we have been involved in numerous hearings concerning wilderness in the State of Idaho. We have testified at the Snake River Break Recreation Area, the Gospel Hump Wil derness, as well as the RARE I and II to name a few. After the RARE II hearings, we felt that the answer to the definition of either wilderness or roadless or multiple use would be provided once and for all. After the recent Ninth Circuit Court decision which states that insufficient consideration was given to wilderness, this position obviously has been drastically changed. We appreciate your time and effort in allowing us to appear before you to hopefully assist you and your committee in making a decision that is vital to everyone in this State. I would like to make a few points that I believe are necessary in the decisionmaking process. Almost without exception every logger that I know in the State of Idaho is at heart a true environmentalist and not a preserationist. He would like to have a job to earn a living for his wife and family, buy equipment, parts and supplies to make that living with, pay taxes both income and property tax and in the process provide a vehicle for the taxation of the operating timber sales to the counties in which he is working. These taxes from the timber sales are delivered to the school system in the State of Idaho, which allows the children of the State of Idaho to be provided an educational opportunity second to none. He also wishes to see the quality of life that we have enjoyed in the State of Idaho, continue. He wants to see high pristine mountains and lakes, quality fishing, and of course the wildlife that is so much a part of this great State. In addition to this, he enjoys berry picking and the scenic grandeur which also is a part of this State. The timber industries' position in my opinion has been very carefully put together. And the addition of approximately 600,000 acres to the already established 3.8 million acres of wilderness is a very viable position. In the timber in500 dustries' proposal, the remainder of the roadless areas under question in most cases is ordinary everyday type of forest land that for one reason or other just simply does not have roads in it. I suggest to you, Senator, and the members of your committee that you adapt—that you adopt, excuse me, the timber industry's proposal and let the great State of Idaho get on to its mission in life affording each and everyone of us a great place to live and many, many of us a place to make a living. I would attempt to answer any questions you or the committee might ask of me. And, again, thank you for this opportunity.