Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Hemingway Wilderness in doubt

Wilderness advocates turn focus to North Fork of the Big Wood


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Although it?s still included in draft legislation targeting Central Idaho, 40,000 acres of potential wilderness on the doorsteps of Ketchum and Sun Valley might not actually happen. Rather than dwell on lost ground, local wilderness supporters have turned their focus to the North Fork of the Big Wood River.

In late July, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, announced he would add the Hemingway Wilderness Area to a bill he is assembling to address recreation and economic concerns throughout the Boulder and White Cloud mountains, as well as their surrounding communities.

The 40,000-acre Hemingway Wilderness would include the southern spine of the Boulder Mountains, and stretch south to Trail Creek and Trail Creek Road. Fingers would reach west in between Trail, Lake and Eagle creeks.

But in hatching the seemingly benign concept, Simpson?s planners forgot about one crucial denominator.

?When we found out what it was, it was pretty disturbing because it encompasses just about all of our local skiing,? said Mark Baumgardner, owner of Sun Valley Heli-Ski. ?Their plan all along was to not put any existing businesses out of business. I think the Hemingway Wilderness, as it was first proposed, is not going to happen. It looks like they?re going to back up on this proposal.?

Simpson Chief of Staff Lindsay Slater did, in fact, indicate that he was scrambling to figure out what to do in the proposed Hemingway Wilderness Area. He acknowledged that it may not happen.

Baumgardner said the public lands proposed for wilderness designation in the Hemingway Wilderness were among the first in the country to offer backcountry helicopter skiing.

What?s more, Sun Valley Heli-Ski recently underwent a multiple-year environmental review of its operations by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency asked the business not to continue using some of its historic ski stashes to prevent conflicts with skiers who climb mountains under their own power.

?Losing Durance is a big heartache for us,? Baumgardner said, referencing the popular backcountry skiing mountain immediately north of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters. ?It?s world class in anybody?s book.?

Meanwhile, local wilderness advocates have turned their attention to the North Fork of the Big Wood River, an area full of towering peaks and alpine valleys. But, the area was set aside in a 2000 compromise between skiers and snowmobilers for snowmobile use. Simpson has said he will honor that agreement.

That isn?t deterring local wilderness supporters, who are circulating petitions to try to show public sentiment is in favor of wilderness designation in the North Fork drainage.

?This area truly represents wilderness values,? said Blaine County Commissioner Sarah Michael, qualifying that she is not necessarily speaking on behalf of her fellow commissioners. ?The highest peaks that we see from our valley and the watersheds that we see from our valley looking up the North Fork are not included in this legislation.

?To me, this North Fork area, more than any other in Blaine County, symbolizes the Boulder Mountains, and it?s the dramatic gateway to the Boulder wilderness.?

Baumgardner, too, was anxious to turn the focus to the North Fork.

?I thoroughly support the concept of a Boulder-White Cloud wildernesss and wilderness in the Pioneers,? he said. The North Fork of the Big Wood, ?that really is more worthy terrain.?




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