STATEMENT OF HARVEY C. M÷GEE PUBLISHER. SONORA DAILY UNION DEMOCRAT. SONORA, CALIF.

Go Mala.. Charan and von the tenders, I repre5. .* am nerey a resident of an area adjacent to a

et vere a ter support for tle preservation, of the primitive in pothole 1- than in the cor.n.it ́es adja ent to

ounty, Calif., the Emgrant aBen Primitive Area National Forest is best known and most visted by trality itself.

v:- most doubtful that those same people would lend a putnik, ber support to S. 174, the bill to create a Federal wildertem and the measure under discussion in congressional subfree textilgan. Sacramento today.

"

Amend

oderness bill is both backward and negative. rt,e or giral version have eliminated some of the most glaring draba v, boat serveral objectionable features remain.

It rena no backward because it still provides "all areas within the fat on al fore teclassified on the effective date of this act as wilderness, d. pr mative, or canoe shall be included in the wilderness system." The Secretary of Agriculture is given 15 years to review "the suita Ilty of euch pr.mitive area for preservation as wilderness" and report

to the President. Then comes the negative process: The recommendators of the President become effective unless vetoed by resolution in Horse or Senate.

I here appears to be nothing objectionable to the sweeping inclusion of are already designated as "wilderness," over 100,000 acres, "wild," 11.der 100,000 acres, or “canoe” areas, These lands have been thorongly evaluated and the boundaries clearly set out prior to their longat ding classification.

For the lands known as primitive like our own Emigrant Basin it is another story. The values within have not been inventoried a: the boundaries have not been clearly defined.

In the Nation there are nearly & million acres of this uninventoried puble land designated as "primitive." In Tuolumne County, it is gatly less than 100,000 acres. In California as a whole the proposed law would wrap up a total of 11 million acres of unevaluated primitive lands in a wilderness system.

The bill dwells at length on the aesthetic values of the wilderness, w!... hit defines as-

an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain

affected primarily by the forces of nature with the imprint of man's works undeficeable

and with

outstanding opportunities for solitude.

Most of our residents who visit the high country as many have been doing since their youth take rod or rifle. But few would count the trp a failure if they brought home no fish or game.

So, although the natives may not choose the high sounding phrases of S. 174 or make the impassioned pleas of its bird watching proporents, it is certain that their appreciation of alpine splendor is full and deep.

At the same time, it is perhaps these people who appreciate most keer by the need for balance in the utilization of the mountain resources, The welfare of the community depends on that balance, for the prinepal economic factors in that community are lumber, recreation, and mining. These, too, are major factors in the State economy of which the community is a part forest products make up the State's second largest industry.

Preservation of this vital balance demands full evaluation of all reSources plus review in public hearing before final--and positive com. tment to a specific purpose. In this way, all interests are protected and all resources allocated for maximum benefit.

All of these essentials prior evaluation, public review, and positive on are discarded in S. 174.

Better, indeed, that the bill be discarded instead.

Dark you very much.

Mrs Piosr. Mr. McGee, would this bill be more palatable to you if the Congress would take positive action rather than the negative approach to which you have referred!

Mr. M. Gr. It certainly would; yes,

Mrs. Prost. Would that remove all of your objections or would you still object !

STATEMENT OF HOWARD R. LEACH, PRESIDENT, SACRAMENTO AUDUBON SOCIETY

Mr. LEACH. Madam Chairman, members of the committee, ladie and gentlemen, my name is Howard R. Leach, and I am president of the Sacramento Audubon Society. I have a brief statement to make favoring the passage of the wilderness bill, S. 174. This has tie endorsement of the National Audubon Society. That is the statement

The Sacramento Audubon Society urges the House of Representa tives take immediate action on the wilderness bill as passed by the U.S. Senate (S. 174) and establish once and for all a criteria for establishment of a wilderness system.

We believe Congress must meet this responsibility of securing for ai of America's people both present and future generations-a fragmen of the priceless heritage to which this country owes its greatness.

What little wilderness remains today must be preserved in s present-day use and protected against economic exploitation. If th.. is not done, we in our generation will witness the destruction and de→ cration of the few areas on this earth where man can now seek spiritual as well as moral rehabilitation without interference from his fellow man.

If not, our next witness is Mr. Harvey C. McGee, publisher of the Sonora Daily Union Democrat, Sonora, Calif.

And will Mr. E. P. Ivory please come to the front of the room.
You may proceed, Mr. McGee.

STATEMENT OF HARVEY C. MCGEE, PUBLISHER, SONORA DAILY UNION DEMOCRAT, SONORA, CALIF.

Mr. MCGEE. Madam Chairman and committee members, I represent no group but am merely a resident of an area adjacent to a primitive area, Tuolumne County, Calif.

Nowhere is there wider support for the preservation of the primitive aspects of certain public lands than in the communities adjacent to these lands.

In Tuolumne County, Calif., the Emigrant aBsin Primitive Area of the Stanislaus National Forest is best known and most visited by residents of the county itself.

Yet it remains most doubtful that those same people would lend their unqualified support to S. 174, the bill to create a Federal wilder ness system and the measure under discussion in congressional subcommittee hearing in Sacramento today.

For the wilderness bill is both backward and negative. Amer d ments in the original version have eliminated some of the most glar::g drawbacks, but several objectionable features remain.

It remains backward because it still provides "all areas within the national forests classified on the effective date of this act as wilderness, wild, primitive, or canoe shall be included in the wilderness system

The Secretary of Agriculture is given 15 years to review "the suita bility of each primitive area for preservation as wilderness" and report

to the President. Then comes the negative process: The recommendatots of the President become effective unless vetoed by resolution in Heise or Senate.

I here appears to be nothing objectionable to the sweeping inclusion of areas already designated as "wilderness," over 100,000 acres, "wild,” ujer 100,000 acres, or “canoe" areas. These lands have been thor2','y evaluated and the boundaries clearly set out prior to their longat dit g classification.

For the lands known as primitive like our own Emigrant Basin it is another story. The values within have not been inventoried a1e boundaries have not been clearly defined.

In the Nation there are nearly million acres of this uninventoried patic land designated as "primitive." In Tuolumne County, it is tly less than 100,000 acres. In California as a whole the proposed Iaw would wrap up a total of 11 million acres of unevaluated primitive lands in a wilderness system.

The bill dwells at length on the aesthetic values of the wilderness, which it defines as —

an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where mati himself is a visitor who does not remain

affected primarily by the forces of nature with the imprint of man's works unoticeable –

and with

outstanding opportunities for solitude.

Most of our residents who visit the high country as many have been doug since their youth take rod or rifle. But few would count the trpa failure if they brought home no fish or game.

So, although the natives may not choose the high sounding phrases of S. 174 or make the impassioned pleas of its bird watching propoTents, it is certain that their appreciation of alpine splendor is full and deep.

At the same time, it is perhaps these people who appreciate most keely the need for balance in the utilization of the mountain resources, The welfare of the community depends on that balance, for the prine pal economie factors in that community are lumber, recreation, and mning. These, too, are major factors in the State economy of which the community is a part forest products make up the State's second largest industry.

Preservation of this vital balance demands full evaluation of all resourves plus review in public hearing before final--and positive commitment to a specific purpose. In this way, all interests are protected and 'l resources allocated for maximum benefit.

All of these essentials prior evaluation, public review, and positive

*.on are discarded in S. 174.

Fetter, indeed, that the bill be discarded instead.

Dark you very much.

Mrs Post. Mr. McGee, would this bill be more palatable to you if the Congress would take positive action rather than the negative approx to which you have referred!

Mr. M. Ga. It certa.ly would; yes.

Mrs. Prost. Would that remove all of your objections or would you still object!

STATEMENT OF HOWARD R. LEACH, PRESIDENT, SACRAMENTO AUDUBON SOCIETY

Mr. LEACH. Madam Chairman, members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Howard R. Leach, and I am president of the Sacramento Audubon Society. I have a brief statement to make favoring the passage of the wilderness bill, S. 174. This has the endorsement of the National Audubon Society. That is the statement.

The Sacramento Audubon Society urges the House of Representatives take immediate action on the wilderness bill as passed by the U.S. Senate (S. 174) and establish once and for all a criteria for establishment of a wilderness system.

We believe Congress must meet this responsibility of securing for all of America's people both present and future generations-a fragment of the priceless heritage to which this country owes its greatness.

What little wilderness remains today must be preserved in its present-day use and protected against economic exploitation. If this is not done, we in our generation will witness the destruction and desecration of the few areas on this earth where man can now seek spiritual as well as moral rehabilitation without interference from his fellow man.

Thank you.

Mrs. ProST. Thank you, Mr. Leach.

Are there questions?

If not, our next witness is Mr. Harvey C. McGee, publisher of the Sonora Daily Union Democrat, Sonora, Calif.

And will Mr. E. P. Ivory please come to the front of the room. You may proceed, Mr. McGee.

STATEMENT OF HARVEY C. MCGEE, PUBLISHER, SONORA DAILY UNION DEMOCRAT, SONORA, CALIF.

Mr. MCGEE. Madam Chairman and committee members, I represent no group but am merely a resident of an area adjacent to a primitive area, Tuolumne County, Calif.

Nowhere is there wider support for the preservation of the primitive aspects of certain public lands than in the communities adjacent to these lands.

In Tuolumne County, Calif., the Emigrant aBsin Primitive Area of the Stanislaus National Forest is best known and most visited by residents of the county itself.

Yet it remains most doubtful that those same people would lend their unqualified support to S. 174, the bill to create a Federal wilderness system and the measure under discussion in congressional subcommittee hearing in Sacramento today.

For the wilderness bill is both backward and negative. Amendments in the original version have eliminated some of the most glaring drawbacks, but several objectionable features remain.

It remains backward because it still provides "all areas within the national forests classified on the effective date of this act as wilderness, wild, primitive, or canoe shall be included in the wilderness system."

The Secretary of Agriculture is given 15 years to review "the suita bility of each primitive area for preservation as wilderness" and report