State Losing Wild Areas, Warn Conservationists
On the 17th anniversary of the creation of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, a conservation group warned that Idaho is rapidly losing its other roadless areas.
The decision by Congress to designate the Frank Church established the largest wilderness area outside Alaska, about 2.3 million acres. About 8 million acres of roadless land remain in Idaho.
“Tragically, in the years since, no additional land has been saved and permanently put aside for the benefit of future generations of Americans, and many formerly unspoiled and untouched roadless areas have been destroyed, by logging and the road-building and associated development Forest Service bureaucrats have allowed and indeed promoted,” said William Meadows, president of the Wilderness Society, on Wednesday.
The group called for immediate and fundamental changes in roadless-area management. The Clinton administration should declare a moratorium on logging and Congress halt funds for all new access roads - although a road embargo died in the U.S. House this month.
The society recommended Congress and the president sign Idaho wilderness legislation, although an earlier bipartisan attempt by then-Gov. Cecil Andrus and former Republican Sen. James McClure failed to do so.
xxxx THE LIST The group announced “Timber’s Terrible 10,” areas in Idaho which must be protected: North Lochsa Slope in the Clearwater National Forest. About 1,700 acres up for logging, including the views of the longest remaining section of the Lewis-Clark Trail. White Sand on the Clearwater, the largest and most important salmon and steelhead fishery in the area, with 3,500 acres proposed for development. Weir-Post Office on Clearwater, 5.5 million board feet of timber targeted in locale that includes the Wild and Scenic River-designated Lochsa, as well as Lolo Trail, a key pathway used by the Nez Perce Tribe in the last century. Deadwood on the Boise National Forest proposed for development of 21,000 acres with 11 miles of road and harvesting 13,000 acres of old-growth forest. Rainbow in Boise Forest, where three miles of road and 5 million board feet of timber cutting are anticipated. Rapid River on the Payette National Forest where clearcut logging is proposed for two sites, while the stream is designated a Wild and Scenic River. French Creek-Patrick Butte on Payette Forest where six miles of road would be built and 15 million board feet taken. Rugged with steep river breaklands and 50 lakes. Secesh on Payette Forest. Three million board feet would be logged along South Fork of the Salmon River, once the most productive summer chinook fishery in the Columbia River Basin. Centennial Range on the Targhee Forest, where logging is proposed to fill 41 percent of the entire forest quota. Important migration corridor for grizzlies and wolves. Packsaddle on the Panhandle National Forest, with about 1,100 acres considered for logging, harming the view from Lake Pend Oreille. The areas are in different stages of the federal process, from signed decision notices to proposals for public comment, said Craig Gehrke, the society’s Idaho regional director.