32 



Mrs. Chenoweth. I would like to welcome Mr. Sherwin, Mr. 

 Bentz, and Mrs. Mitchell, and I would like to begin with Mr. Sher- 

 win. 



STATEMENT OF DICK SHERWIN, CLARKSTON, WASHINGTON 



Mr. Sherwin. Thank you. My name is Richard Sherwin, and I 

 have been a private floater of the Snake River and Hells Canyon 

 since 1976. 



I am here to testify in favor of H.R. 2568 because it is important 

 to embrace legislation that does not advocate exclusive use of Hells 

 Canyon. 



The Hells Canyon National Recreation Area Act specifically pro- 

 vided for use of motorized river craft in Hells Canyon and recog- 

 nized such use as valid. 



Some claim powerboats should be limited or eliminated in the 

 Hells Canyon recreation area to protect the cultural, ecological, and 

 environmental resources of the canyon, and to make the river safer 

 or more enjoyable for a specific user group. 



I believe that the real reason is because of economic competition. 

 Elimination of Jetboats from the river for three days a week is not 

 acceptable. Those in favor claim Jetboaters are being unreasonable 

 by refusing to give up just 24 of the most productive days of the 

 entire year for the commercial Jetboat operators. 



This would be comparable to giving into a demand by K-Mart 

 that Wal-Mart close its doors for 24 days a year, commencing the 

 day after Thanksgiving. 



The commercial floaters know that forcing the commercial 

 powerboaters to lose 43 percent of their use during the peak of the 

 season would drive many out of business and out of commercial 

 competition for the use of the river. 



Many believe the powerboaters should be willing to give up the 

 use of the wild designated section of the river. They speak about 

 this section in terms such as wilderness, solitude, and primitive. 



Congress purposefully excluded the entire river corridor from any 

 wilderness designation. In order to have solitude by definition, one 

 would have to be in the area all alone. There are signs of civiliza- 

 tion on every nearly every bar and flat spot in the canyon. The 

 area is anything but primitive. 



I am not against fairly regulating Jetboat traffic in Hells Can- 

 yon. Except possibly for certain holidays, Hells Canyon is not over- 

 crowded. No plan should be written just for these rare instances, 

 but reasonable limits based on average current use should be ap- 

 plied to powerboat traffic. 



Some seeking Jetboat elimination have resorted to gross exag- 

 gerations and perhaps even perjury. In a recent legal declaration, 

 the executive director of Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Rich- 

 ard K. Bailey, stated, and I quote, "I have spent an average of 

 about 40 days per year floating the Snake River over the past 13 

 years. I have had dangerous and unpleasant encounters with 

 Jetboats on each trip." 



At the very least, this statement by Mr. Bailey is a gross exag- 

 geration. In all probability, it is blatant perjury. Only the very 

 naive would believe that Mr. Bailey had a dangerous encounter 



