LAMBERTVILLE, N. J., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Office Building, Washington D. C.: We strongly urge support of revised wilderness bill, S. 4028. JESSAMINE GODDARD. BERKELEY, CALIF., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Office, Washington, D. C.: We heartily approve the wilderness bill as now represented in S. 4028 and H. R. 13013 and urge early enactment of the legislation. Mrs. H. T. DOBBINS. ELSIE LAPAGE. KITTY DYKSTRA. WEYERHAEUSER TIMBER Co., Tacoma, Wash., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: Wilderness areas which lock up forever large stands of commercial timber and productive timber lands could seriously affect the future economy of the Pacific Northwest. Urge no action be taken on Senate bill 4028 until western regional hearings are held. It would be advisable to hold up action on this bill until a report is made by the National Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, WALTER J. DELONG. IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE, Minneapolis, Minn., July 22, 1958. Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Minnehaha Chapter Izaak Walton League strongly urges favorable action on revised wilderness bill, Senate bill 4028. STAR HAY, Vice President Minnehaha Chapter. MOUNT ST. HELENS CLUB, LONGVIEW, WASH., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Chairman of Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, We urge the passing of Senate bill 4028. We feel it is a most important step of conservation. HELEN LEONARD, President. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., July 22, 1958. Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: Trustees for Conservation strongly endorse the bill to establish a national wilderness system, S. 4028, and urges favorable action by the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. EDGAR WAYBURN, M. D., President. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Interior Committee, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: SEATTLE, WASH., July 22, 1958. On behalf of Pacific Northwest Bird and Mammal Society and Washington State Museum, I urge all possible support of revised wilderness bill. FRANK RICHARDSON. EUGENE, OREG., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: Friends of Three Sisters Wilderness Inc., reaffirms its previous statements supporting wilderness bill now approves S. 4028 and strongly urges its passage this session. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Interior Committee, KARL W. ONTHANK, President. United States Senate, Washington, D. C.: AUDUBON SOCIETY, Pasadena, Calif., July 22, 1958. I urge immediate enactment of the revised wilderness bill S. 4028. FLORA MCINTRYRE, Bulletin Editor. GLENDALE, CALIF., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: We urge early enactment of wilderness bills S. 4028 and H. R. 13013. Hon. JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate, Washington, D. C.: LUCIA KAREN HICKS DODSON. INDIAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION, If Indian lands are to be included in wilderness bill, we urge that they be subject to definite consent of Indian owners. LAWRENCE E. LINDLEY, OREGON WILDLIFE FEDERATION, Hon. JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: The Oregon Wildlife Federation endorses and supports the revised wilderness bill S. 4028. Please make this telegram a part of the wilderness bill public hearing record. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, BRUCE L. YEAGER, National Representative. DULUTH, MINN., July 22, 1958. Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: We, the Friends of the Wilderness, once again proudly and emphatically endorse the revised wilderness bill, Senate bill 4028, now before your committee. These few wilderness areas are a monument to what our country was, and are almost beyond evaluation to the future of our expanding civilization. Can we not show some responsibility to our descendants and preserve some regions such as these where the unique healing experience of a completely unspoiled wilderness may be felt? It is tremendously important that we act now if the few small portions of wilderness that are left be preserved for the enjoyment and education of the youth of tomorrow. This organization, with its many thousands of members and hundreds of supporting groups, ask you and your committee to send this needed legislation to the floor of the Senate with your approval and a request from you for quick passage and let it become the law of the land. May the wilderness canoe country live forever. FRIENDS OF THE WILDERNESS. WILLIAM H. MAGIE, Executive Secretary. NEWTON, MASS., July 22, 1958. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, Chairman, Senate Interior Committee, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: We are strongly in favor of S. 1176 in its revised form. Senator JAMES E. MURRAY, ARTHUR AND FRANCES DEWING. WESTERN PINE ASSOCIATION, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate, Washington, D. C.: Our membership in all Western States cannot support Senate bill 4028 because it would exclude timber crop production on essential commercial forest lands. We agree with Forest Service, quote: "That further significant withdrawals of commercial forest lands for other uses should, in general, be avoided, or should be made with full realization that such withdrawals may adversely affect future timber supply." ERNEST L. KOLBE. WILKINSON, CRAGUN & BARKER, Hon. JAMES E. MURRAY, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR MURRAY: Enclosed is a copy of resolution No. 991 of the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Mont. This resolution expresses the views of the confederated tribes in relation to S. 4028, 85th Congress, 2d session, the bill to establish a national wilderness preservation system. It is our understanding that hearings on the above bill are scheduled for July 23, 1958, by the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. On behalf of the confederated tribes, we respectfully request that the enclosed resolution be presented to the committee during the hearings mentioned. If you feel it necessary or desirable, a member of this firm will be happy to appear at the hearings in order to further explain the views of the confederated tribes or answer questions regarding this matter. Sincerely yours, LORIN J. BROADBENT. RESOLUTION No. 991 OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION Whereas several bills to establish a national wilderness preservation system have been introduced in Congress listing Indian roadless and wild areas throughout the West to be included in these areas, frequently specifically including an area within the Flathead tribal lands, but providing that such lands should be included only with the express consent of the tribes concerned; and Whereas the present version of the so-called wilderness bill, S. 4028 and H. R. 13013, 85th Congress, provides at section 2 (d) that "The wilderness system shall include such areas of tribal land on Indian reservations as the Secretary of the Interior may designate as appropriate for inclusion after consultation with the several tribes or bands, through their tribal councils or other duly constituted authorities"; and Whereas section 3 (a) provides that the wilderness system "shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, educational, scenic, scientific, conservation, and historical use", and mere "consultation" by the Secretary is regarded by the tribes as inadequate protection of tribal lands and resources; and Whereas the designation of Indian reservation lands for public purposes in the proposed national wilderness preservation system without express consent of the tribes through their appropriate governing bodies may constitute a taking contrary to the United States Constitution: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation is opposed to S. 4028, H. R. 13013, 85th Congress, and any identical or similar bills to the extent they provide for inclusion of Indian reservation lands in a national wilderness preservation system without the express consent of the tribes concerned, and to the extent that such lands may be included without express consideration by Congress, or are returnable to the tribes only if a "termination" act is adopted. Hon. JAMES E. MURRAY, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, This is in reply to your telegram of July 18 notifying us of July 23 hearings on revised wilderness bill. We have today telegraphed Senator Kuchel the following message, which is the position of this department on S. 4028: Thank you for your letter of July 18 concerning the revised wilderness bill, S. 4028. As indicated to you in my letter of February 17, 1958, Committee Print No. 1 of the bill would have been satisfactory to us if it had been amended in two particulars. S. 4028 has fully satisfied 1 of these 2 particulars, but has not satisfied the other. We object to the insertion of the present language "or denial" in section 3 (c) (5), line 23, page 14. The purpose served by inserting "or denial" is apparently, to leave room for further extension of the doctrine of the Pelton Dam case, FPN v. Oregon (349 U. S. 435). That is, to make possible by the administrative reservation of Federal land, subject only to concurrent disapproval of Senate and House. The establishment of paramount Federal claims to water resource planning and development in wilderness areas. For this reason, we cannot accept the present wording of section 3 (c) (5). However, if the words "or denial" are deleted from the section, the bill would be acceptable to this department. Hon. JAMES E. MURRAY, HARVEY O. BANKS, Director. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR MURRAY: The Chamber of Commerce of the United States, believing in the conservation of natural resources by wise development and use, opposes S. 4028, a bill to establish a national wilderness preservation system. Proponents of this legislation contend that all objectionable features of an earlier bill, S. 1176, have been removed, but an analysis of S. 4028 shows that these basic faults still remain : 1. Essentially, the system would authorize single use of large areas of national forests and public-domain lands for the relatively few wilderness travel enthusiasts. These resources should be available for the enjoyment of all the people and for the economic progress of the locality and the Nation, when needed. 2. The bill would establish a Wilderness Preservation Council, which would assume and duplicate responsibilities of the present administrative agencies, such as making surveys of wilderness needs and conditions and collecting and disseminating information concerning the system. It would make independent recommendations to Congress in relation to the administration of the systemcertainly, a function of the existing departments. 3. For all practical purposes, the legislation would remove resource management from the hands of the land-managing agencies on an area of about 50 million acres proposed for immediate inclusion in a wilderness-preservation system. That area could be increased rather simply and without real restrictions. Inflexible legislative control would be imposed over dynamic natural resources when wise management requires day-to-day administrative decisions. 4. The legislation would obstruct the special-use programs already authorized by Congress on national parks, monuments, game refuges, and game ranges. The fact is that most people do not realize that the seemingly simple act of designating an area as wilderness, as defined by S. 4028, automatically closes that area to normal recreational uses and to scenic and esthetic enjoyment. By far, the greatest number of our population are tourists: they are not hikers and packhorse-travel enthusiasts. Classification of national parks, public hunting grounds, game ranges, etc., as wilderness areas would, from that time on, make the presently undeveloped portions of these areas unavailable to the great mass of our people, and make them available only to those who could pack or hike in. Public game and fish resources also would be unavailable. 5. The economic condition of individuals and communities, especially in the West, may be tied closely to future use of forest, grazing, mineral, or water resources in the presently undeveloped wild and wilderness areas. Once the area is included in the system, however, it may be anticipated that "use" changes would be opposed by the Council and by wilderness proponents. Such changes would be difficult to secure, notwithstanding the proposed procedures and an urgent need for such changes. 6. The potential wilderness areas within Indian reservations are susceptible of arbitrary inclusion into the system through the clause on page 8, lines 19-23, where the Secretary may designate lands for inclusion after only consultation with the tribes or bands. This amounts to confiscation of private lands, and is not consistent with the Congress' avowed policy of fair and equitable treatment of the Indian groups. The national chamber believes that wise use and management of our natural resources is basic to the past outstanding economic development and to future economic progress of the United States. The physical and spiritual development of our people has been influenced by the development and use of our natural resources, by the availability of the recreational areas, and by the protection and preservation of outstanding and esthetic values in nature. Forests, as a renewable resource, are most vital to the economic, physical, and spiritual security of the Nation; soil, water, and wildlife conservation and recreational opportunities are enhanced by good forest management. Nonagricultural rural lands contain industrial resources, water supplies, recreational features, and superb scenery, and support valuable multipurpose uses. Such lands should be managed primarily for their highest economic use. National parks and monuments should be land and water areas essentially in their primeval natural condition, containing outstanding scenic quality and unusual examples of beauty and of natural phenomena so superior to average samples of their several types as to make them of national importance. They. should be preserved for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of all people for all time. They should be accessible to all. Their size should be no greater than necessary to embrace and preserve the specific superior national values being recognized. A limited number of wilderness areas incorporating outstanding examples of Federal lands still in their primitive state, if clearly more valuable for recreational use than for a combination of recreation and other uses, may be desirable. Their establishment and management should be within the already existing administrative framework. We believe that adequate recognition is now given the wilderness concept through existing departmental regulations and through legislation already in existence establishing national forests, national parks and monuments, and wildlife refuges and ranges. I would appreciate it if you would make this letter a part of the current hearings on S. 4028. Cordially yours, CLARENCE R. MILES. |