Cecil D. Andrus is former Idaho Gov. and U.S. Interior secretary; Gray Reynolds is retired deputy chief of the Forest Service, served as first superintendent of the SNRA and currently sits on the Sawtooth Society board; Tom Kovalicky of Stanley is former assistant superintendent of the SNRA and Linn Kincannon is central Idaho director of the Idaho Conservation League.
By CECIL D. ANDRUS, GRAY REYNOLDS, TOM KOVALICKY AND LINN KINCANNON
The Blaine County Commissioners recently provided an opportunity for the proponents of an ill-conceived commercial cell tower at Galena Summit to once again attempt to make the case that the scenic, recreational and cultural values of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area would somehow be compatible with a 90-foot-tall cell phone tower; a tower so tall it would violate the county’s height ordinance. Several of us who had a hand in creating the SNRA years ago presented the commissioners with a letter outlining our opposition to the Galena tower. For some reason the Mountain Express failed to mention our letter or much of the rest of the opposition that spoke before the commission on Dec. 16.
We appreciate this opportunity to outline our very strong objections and there are several.
As the Blaine County Commissioners noted early in 2008 when the tower was first under consideration by the Forest Service, “In the photo simulations, the tower can be seen clearly above the other trees. In light of beetle infestations in the area, the tower could well be standing naked and sky-lined in another decade.”
Furthermore, no thinking person can seriously believe that proponents of the Galena tower will be content to stop at just one tower. In fact, while it went unspoken during the commission’s recent meeting, the commercial concern that is pushing the Galena tower apparently confirmed to this newspaper its plan for a tower “near the SNRA headquarters.” A decision to go forward with the Galena project will be precedent-setting and a retreat from 40 years of efforts to manage carefully this kind of obvious conflict with the area’s scenic and recreational values.
We all know that the Sawtooth National Recreation Area is an Idaho and national treasure. It has been a long and constant struggle to first create and then maintain, preserve and protect the scenic, recreational, cultural and historic values of the SNRA. We simply cannot condone the commercial exploitation and diminishment of the scenic value of what is one of the most spectacular areas (and vistas) in our state and, in fact, in the United States.
We also believe there are numerous communication alternatives, including what we understand to be an on-going evaluation by the U.S. Forest Service of providing landline service at the Galena Overlook, which would provide for, among other things, a level of emergency communication services along Highway 75. Proponents speak broadly of public safety concerns, but ignore the fact that the landline option is in development. They also refuse to acknowledge the inherent and widely documented danger involved in operating a motor vehicle on narrow, twisting mountain roads while talking on a cell phone.
Fundamentally, this proposal is not about public safety, but about a commercial concern’s attempting to realize a significant financial return by renting tower space to wireless providers. At best the proposed tower will provide a narrow band of cell coverage near the top of Galena Summit, which again will almost certainly stimulate requests for more locations, more towers and more diminishment of the scenic and recreational value of the SNRA.
The Forest Service turned down this bad idea once and BlaineCounty is already on record objecting strongly to a 90-foot-tall tower that will violate the county’s own ordinance. We encourage both parties to stand by their earlier convictions. Some things just aren’t for sale and we trust the U.S. Forest Service will agree.
