A month ago, I submitted a letter to the editor expressing my support for what I perceived was a reasonably sound proposal for designating part of the Boulder/White Clouds area as wilderness.
Now, the political process has added significant compromises to the bill, which are contrary to the intent of the original Wilderness Act. Therefore, I withdraw my support. If we don't stick with the original vision for the wilderness system, we dilute the whole, setting dangerous precedents for the future of the wilderness system. If you want to land helicopters to manage wolves, call the area a "Wolf Management Area," not a wilderness.
F. Carl Pence
Former SNRA ranger
Nampa