54 



I also sought out the latest and best science available and 

 worked with respected technical experts. They applied GAP 

 analysis using a computerized system to compare layers of 

 resource information. 



I reviewed other wilderness proposals including the McClure- 

 Andrus wilderness effort of 1988. Past efforts to resolve this 

 issue became building blocks in the process. 



Then, on March 31, 1993 I introduced H.R. 1570, the "Idaho 

 Wilderness, Sustainable Forests and Communities Act of 1993." 

 Because much of the content of H.R. 1570 is in my current bill, I 

 would like to review some of the high points. 



H.R. 1570 called for designation of wilderness areas on all 

 five national forests within my Congressional district. In 

 addition, a number of special management areas were proposed. 

 Prescriptions for these SMA' s were to reflect congressional 

 intent for management emphasis, (not unlike that for the Smith 

 River National Recreation Area in California) , and set 

 reasonsLble, verifiable constraints on activities which could 

 occur in the areas . 



In developing the prescriptions, care was taken to not 

 "micro-manage" the area, recognizing that most land management 

 decisions are best left to scientists and professional land 

 managers. Additionally, future advances in the science of land 

 management should not be precluded by tying the hands of 

 tomorrow's land managers. 



I also included a demonstration project for the St. Joe 

 National Forest with the goal of investing in good sites to grow 

 more timber volume on lands already roaded. Following location 

 of these highly productive sites, they would be intensively 

 managed for timber using mostly uneven- aged management and 

 silvicultural practices including pre -commercial thinning, 

 fertilization, pruning, and planting of diverse species. A 

 citizens advisory group would help monitor the program's 

 effectiveness, and the program would terminate after 10 years. 



In an effort to provide certainty on forest lands which are 

 already roaded, the bill called for restoration of forests and 

 watersheds and authorized jobs to carry out those activities. 



Mr. Chairman, as you know, the condition of many roaded 

 areas require that future management and production options be 

 severely restricted until restoration efforts are in place. 

 Further the listing of the chinook salmon under the Endangered 

 Species Act provides a further catalyst for restoring these 

 lands . 



