99 



proposed level of \jse was so low, that now might be a good time 

 to eliminate power boat use altogether. It also stated that if 

 use became established, it would be extremely difficult to 

 eliminate it at a later date. This memo, intercepted by a friend 

 of the power boaters within the ranks of the Forest Service, made 

 it clear to all that if the power boaters were to continue to 

 enjoy the use of Hells Canyon, they would have to propose higher 

 numbers, perhaps even higher than they believed necessary, or 

 their proposal would be deemed so low as to be unnecessary by the 

 Forest Service. It also sent a clear message that those in 

 charge of the Forest Service planned to eliminate power boat 

 usage completely in the upper section of the Snake River. This 

 clandestine act, by the Acting Deputy Chief, destroyed whatever 

 trust the power boaters had in the Forest Service. 



In 1990, the U.S. Forest Service implemented a committee to 

 study the issues of a fair management plan in Hells Canyon. This 

 process, referred to as the "Limits of Acceptable Change", 

 included 22 people, representing commercial and private floaters 

 and jet boaters, conservationists and livestock interests, the 

 Forest Service, and others. This committee met 23 times, over an 

 18 month period. These meetings often lasted for 8 hours, or 

 more. The goal of this process was to establish a consensus 

 agreement, among the various user groups, concerning the 

 management of the resources of Hells Canyon. This included 

 limits on the use of jet boats. 



Two people involved in the LAC process could not reach a 

 consensus decision with the rest of the participants. Ric 

 Bailey, of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, and Ron Wise, 

 of the Sierra Club, dissented and filed a "Minority Report", 

 (exhibit #7), concerning their objection to the agreed upon 

 powerboat numbers agreed upon by the task force. 



Reports from other members of the LAC task force were that 

 Mr. Bailey and Mr. Wise were unable to agree with the rest of the 

 task force on almost every single issue addressed by the group. 

 True to form, once again the minority, as represented by the 

 "Minority Report," managed to arouse enough discontent with the 

 attempted process to solve conflict in Hells Canyon to scuttle 

 the entire process. 



Somewhere in the time period, between the end of the LAC 

 study and the formation of the Hells Canyon alliance in 1993, a 

 "Proposed Alternative Summary", (exhibit #8), was presented to 

 the Forest Service by the Northwest Powerboat Association and the 

 Western Whitewater Association. This proposal also recommended 

 limits on jet boat usage in the canyon. Like all the others, 

 this proposal was also rejected. 



In 1993, at the preliminary meeting to the formation of the 

 Hells Canyon Alliance, representatives of several different user 

 groups, including jet boaters, at a meeting in McCa 1 1 , Idaho, 

 (exhibit #9), agreed to limit jet boat numbers in Hells Canyon. 

 Once again, these numbers were rejected. 



For those who oppose motorized use in Hells Canyon to claim 

 that jet boaters have continually refused to present, or even to 

 discuss, limits on numbers, is a blatant lie. It would not 

 matter what limits the boaters imposed upon themselves. Unless 



