Congress is closer than ever to passing a wilderness bill that would protect one of Idaho's greatest assets forever. As a native of Idaho, a teacher and student of science, a mountain biker, fisherman, backcountry skier and river runner, I am very pleased with the proposed Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness bill. Some concerns have been raised about the loss of recreational opportunities. Thirty-five miles of trails would be closed to motorcycles and one good mountain bike ride would be sacrificed as a trade-off for more than 330,000 acres of wilderness that will long outlive us. This seems like a mere drop in the bucket compared to the many hundreds of miles available to motorcycles and mountain bikes. Worth noting is the fact that Germania Creek and Frog Lake will remain open to motorcycles and mountain bikes, in addition to all the great riding around the area. Fishing and hunting will be unaffected by the bill.
The proposed wilderness area is home to countless species of wildlife supported by pristine habitat. Conserving biodiversity and the habitat that sustains it will safeguard Idaho's ecosystem health. Considering the recent environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, mega-developments around the world and ever more measurable and noticeable changes to our climate, it is clear that we must take proactive steps toward preserving properly functioning ecosystems.
We have a unique opportunity in Idaho to help ourselves by maintaining wildlife populations, abundant habitat, salmon migration routes, clean air and clean water. We have a thoughtful bill that also accounts for different recreating interests. I hope this carefully crafted bill is enacted soon.
George Collier
Hailey
