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All of this, including the mid-morning snack, beverage for the day and lunch, 

 costs from $85 to $95, depending on the trip's length, 180 to 200 miles round 

 trip. A variety of trip options are offered. Some are charter, styled to a group's 

 needs. Some specialize in fishing and others ovemight at lodges. We see 

 passengers of all ages, but by far the majority are seniors and many are 

 physically challenged, unable to withstand the rigors of a float trip. The only 

 way they can ever experience their recreation area and its river is by power boat. 



There is nothing new about carrying passengers into Hells Canyon by motor boat. 

 The first trip I am aware of took place in 1865 when the 110 foot Colonel Wright 

 went 28 miles above the Salmon River. In 1870 and 1895 two even larger boats, 

 136 and 165 feet respectively, went from Boise to Lewiston, traveling the length 

 of Hells Canyon. The Corps of Engineers began surveying the river for 

 navigation in the 1800's and began blasting rocks to improve navigation in 1903. 

 The Imnaha, a 125 foot stem wheeler began hauling supplies and passengers to 

 Eureka Bar in 1903. Gasoline powered boats started operation in 1910, carrying 

 mail, passengers and cargo to the canyon's numerous homesteads and ranches. 

 Even in those times, some of the passengers were tourists, fishermen and hunters. 



The Snake River in Hells Canyon fits a unique slot in the regional spectrum of 

 river recreation opportunities. According to the Forest Service's own study, out 

 of the 35 Wild and Scenic river segments in the Northwest with class III or better 

 white water, only four allow motorized river craft. Floaters have exclusive 

 access to the other 3 1 . Two of the four segments open to power boaters are the 

 scenic and wild segments of the Snake in HeUs Canyon (see Forest Service study. 

 Appendix H of the Final EIS, attached). Most power boaters consider Hells 

 Canyon's Snake River the Nation's premiere white water power boating river. 

 This activity has a continuous history spanning over 100 years. The river's rocky 

 banks are impervious to wakes; it is large enough and deep enough to 

 accommodate a variety of craft safely. Power boats have made this river 

 accessible to all Americans, an opportunity worth preserving for this and future 

 generations. 



Private Land Access 



My brother and I own private property in a remote section of the Lower Salmon 

 River. The lodge there is used for family gatherings and in conjunction with my 

 power boat outfitting business. We have always enjoyed free access to that 

 property via the Snake and Salmon Rivers, both of which are considered 

 navigable and have served as public highways, used for commerce, for well over 

 100 years. In its latest management plan, with no consultation with land owners, 

 the Forest Service notified my brother and me that we would each be allowed just 

 one trip per day to our property from one specified portal. This works fine 



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