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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Back Country Road Closures Are Counterproductive

Don W. Samuelson Special To Roundtable

I came to this beautiful country of Bonner County and North Idaho in 1944. Since then, many freedoms have been taken away from us, mostly by federal regulations.

I am a lifelong sportsman and have hunted, fished, backpacked and camped all over North Idaho. I was president of the Bonner County Sportsmen Association, of Idaho Wildlife Federation District 1 and for years served as director of Idaho’s Wildlife Federation. I was chairman of the Natural Resources and Recreation committee of the Idaho Senate for six years.

During my tenure in those positions, I worked hard and supported the concept of multiple use of all our natural resources.

The Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and our own Idaho Fish and Game Department have done a great disservice to the people of our state by closing roads that have been in existence for many years. These roads were built to provide access to timber, minerals and other natural resources with taxpayers’ money. They should remain open to provide the public back country access for huckleberry picking, hunting, fishing and camping.

The problem may stem from the large amount of money generated by the Pitman-Robinson Fund and several other such funds that receive money from federal taxes on sporting goods and outdoor equipment.

The Fish and Wildlife Service and the Fish and Game Department apply for these funds to finance biologists and their special studies. Studies are all right, but I question whether roads must be closed and areas locked up to study grizzly bears and other species. I question locking the public out of public lands.

This practice is counterproductive. For 40 years since they started trapping and putting collars on bears, and closing roads, three bears have been killed in Bonner and Boundary counties. One was killed for killing cattle. One was killed for killing sheep and the other one broke into and tore up a cabin.

In the last 10 years, or since they started their studies, 13 have been killed by the biologists or people upset about the road closures.

It’s hard to understand how a road through the back country can be more stressful to bears than trapping, tranquilizing and collaring them. Common sense tells me harassing the bears this way is more stressful than having an occasional car go up a back country road.

The public has coexisted with grizzlies for a long time. Grizzly hunting season was closed for many years, and hunters respected that.

Many knowledgeable outdoor people in North Idaho, myself included, believe the Fish and Game Department has caused the death of too many grizzly bears in the Panhandle.

Please help us open up our back country for the enjoyment of the taxpayers and citizens of this great state.

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