Take down this wall

The article of Dec. 24 in The Spokesman-Review reported that the U.S. Forest Service gave permission to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to land a helicopter in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area this winter to radio collar wolves.

On July 12, 1994, 14-year-old Robert Graham became lost in the Pecos Wilderness Mountains of northern New Mexico. A day and a half later a state police helicopter spotted him and circled, then flew away, as the Forest Service officials denied permission to land and rescue the youngster.

Under regulations buried in the Wilderness Act of 1964, no modern vehicles are allowed in federal wilderness areas unless required in an emergency involving the health and safety of persons in the area. It would take a volunteer land rescue team 20 miles in rugged terrain and 16 hours to reach the boy. The Forest Service then dispatched its own ground team, which failed to find Robert; only then did they approve a U.S. Customs helicopter rescue more than 50 hours after Robert was spotted the first time. This is a bureaucratic wall that has to be torn down.

Tony Delgado

Loon Lake