Dan Rose wrote an excellent letter explaining the potential impact of the Idaho Senate Joint Memorial (SJM 103) calling for no additional wilderness in Idaho. This, along with the city of Clark Fork’s formal rejection of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, the Bonner County Resource Policy call for no wilderness and the upcoming Scotchman wilderness question on the Bonner County primary ballot, demonstrate the growing opposition to permanently locking up more of our public lands in Idaho.

The proposal was poorly conceived from the beginning. The Forest Service never presented their proposed recommendation to Clark Fork, the community closest to the area (despite federal law that requires them to do so), the supporters never presented their plans to Clark Fork and the former county commissioners never talked to local communities before endorsing the proposal.

The lack of meaningful management of public forest lands across the west is causing increased catastrophic wildfires and significant degradation of wildlife habitat. With almost 5 million acres of wilderness in Idaho, land that will never be actively managed for forest health or for wildlife, what we don’t need, is more wilderness.

Bonner County residents should vote no on the wilderness question on the May 15 ballot. To avoid lines at the polls, residents can register now for an absentee ballot, at the county Elections Office, Highway 2 (former Federal Building) and a ballot will be mailed after March 30 and you can vote at your convenience or vote in-person absentee between April 23 and 11.

STAN MYERS

Hope