More roadless areas needed

Sun., Oct. 10, 2004

The Spokesman-Review

I have enjoyed reading Rich Landers’ series in The Spokesman-Review the past several weeks about wilderness areas. I’d also like to raise my voice in support of roadless wilderness areas.

This summer I had a very enjoyable backpacking trip in the Salmo Priest Wilderness north of Spokane – enjoyable except for one trashed campsite. It had urine-soaked toilet paper and wads of aluminum foil strewn about, with clotheslines strung indiscriminately between trees and with some worn-out shoes and dirty old clothes lying nearby. It was probably no coincidence this was the one campsite within easy hiking distance of a forest road.

As the above story illustrates, allowing more roads into our wilderness areas will inevitably lead to the same result – the degradation of what few pristine areas there are still left in our great country.

God bless America, especially its roadless areas.

Neil Heyen

Spokane

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More roadless areas needed

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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