306 



expert, known throughout the western states for his 

 knowledge and his objectivity. He attempted to review the 

 preliminary EIS and reported to me that it was "very nearly 

 iit^ossible" to follow and \inderstand the convoluted, 

 technical content of the document. I have attempted to read 

 the draft, i am not exactly a novice at the art of reading 

 technical documents, having devoted most of ray adult life to 

 either the practice of law or the related fields of legal 

 and planning research. I have never seen a document 

 designed for public use which is so technically and 

 structurally convoluted. 



WHAT SHOXJLD BE IMPORTANT TO YOU IS NOT WHAT WAS SAID TO STOU 

 BY PRIOR WITNESSES ABOUT LOCAL PUBLIC INPUT BUT WHAT WA*' NOT 

 SAID, TO YOU ABOUT LOCAL PUBLIC INPUT. 



(1) The Ecosystem teams did NOT seek input 

 from, and participation in the planning process by, those 

 counties which established and implemented land use planning 

 processes for studying management of the public lands. In 

 Idaho, for example, neither Owyhee nor Lemhi counties were 

 allowed to participate directly in the planning process even 

 though they are entitled to a coordinate planning status 

 •under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The 

 Planning Committees in these counties would have been able 

 to provide planning data and information from a local 

 management and observation staindpoint. 



(2) The Ecosystem teams did NOT seek input 

 from, and participation in the platnning process by, several 

 distinguished range and land use experts who reside in the 

 very areas under the planning scope. Dr. Gibson has already 

 beeni mentioned. He was not consulted even though he has 

 vast> knowledge of range management practices which have 

 worked and not worked in the Owyhee County area. Dr. Neil 

 Remby and Dr. Ken Sanders, both also of the University of 

 Idaho, reside and practice in the area. Both are highly 

 gual;Lf ied and both have vast knowledge of the area and its 

 practices. Dr. Wayne Burkhart is a range expert who is 

 Jcnown throughout the western states. He has participated in 

 range conservation studies, has testified, and has prepared 

 data, including a highly informative slide presentation 

 regarding range conditions in the area. He resides in 

 Midvale, Idaiho, right within the area svibjected to the 

 ecosystem project. Drs. Remby, Sanders and Burkhart were 

 ignored by the ecosystem project teams. Mr. Mealey knows 

 each of these experts, yet called on none of them. ' 

 As to recreation uses of the lands, they did not call upon 

 Adele Cook of the Blue Ribbon Coalition or other members of 

 that, coalition of recreation users of the public lands. 



i (3) No ranchers were consulted by the 



ecosystem project teams in the entirety of Owyhee County / 

 even< though the ranchers have managed the public lands 



