No to Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? It is a wilderness area already…almost too much wilderness, as access roads and hiking trails and bridges have been allowed to overgrow and decompose. How does one go about enjoying something that can only be seen at a distance?

So, shall we clarify? Scotchman Peaks Federal Wilderness. Now how does that sound? To any red-blooded North Idahoan, that has a peculiar stench. While we appreciate our federal government guiding commerce and defending our borders (or would, if they took it more seriously!), we certainly do not need them in our state! They already control 63.8 percent of the lands in our great state (http://www.idahoforests.org/ownall.htm).

I say no. No to a Scotchman Peaks Federal Wilderness area. No to allowing the mountains to lie fallow, without the care of caring men and women to harvest downed wood and hunt for their sustenance and enjoy its beauty for the benefit of their health and wellness. No to the federal government having yet another way to control our state and coerce its state leaders and forest servicemen.

I say vote no May 15 - don’t turn Scotchman Peaks into another federal wildfire…oh, excuse me…wilderness area.

Jane Purdy

Laclede