A copy of your letter has been referred to Assistant Secretary John A. Baker of the Department of Agriculture, who is concerned with this type of project, with an attachment from me indicating my support for the development of winter facilities.

My very best wishes for success in this venture.
Sincerely yours,

The survey designed to test skiing conditions of typical ski trail terrain. We did not attempt to cover area near Charlton Peak, or its east slope. We were able to ski nonstop from both Big and Little Draw all the way to Slushy Meadows, with only one minor bare patch at the lower edge of Dry Lake. Upper Little Draw has been severely wind scoured, however this is primarily due to no ski packing, unskied snow being transported to lower slopes during high wind action. A skiable track is in this area, however. Upper Big Draw completely covered, no rocks apparent. There has been a medium-sized, soft slab avalanche in the main upper chute, a natural storm release in appearance. There There is evidence of a small cornice formation at the top of the chute. are some signs of stabilization in place throughout all the area below the upper chutes down to the Dry Lake area. There was a light snowfall during the evening of April 17, 1964, depositing from 1 inch at the Meadows to as much as 3 inches at Big Draw. This snow was wet, fine granular, very cohesive, making a good wax job mandatory on downhill descents. However, a real help on climbing skin use. The temperatures during the survey varied from a low of 31° to 45° F. It was starting to snow as we left the area. Attached is a snow profile we made at the 10,400-foot level. We took many color slides of our trip, we will forward any good ones to you.

Members of party: Jack Page, NSPS No. 2107; Loran Booth, NSPS No. 1611; Brian Page; Greg Booth.

JACK PAGE.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA,

County of Los Angeles ss:

On April 20, 1964, before me, the undersigned, a notary public in and for said county and State, personally appeared Jack Page, known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged that he executed the same.

Witness my hand and official seal. [SEAL]

FRED H. SIELING, Notary Public, California,

RESOLUTION by Board of TRADE, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, RECOMMENDING THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REQUEST AND URGE U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO ORDER PUBLIC HEARING TO DETERMINE MODIFICATION OF SAN GORGONIO WILD AREA TO PERMIT LIMITED ENTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SKIING AND OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITIES

Whereas the Board of Trade of San Bernardino County was created by resolution of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors for the purpose of inducing immigration to and increasing the trade and commerce of San Bernardino County pursuant to Government code, section 26104; and

Whereas by virtue of Government code, section 26106, and the enabling resolution of the board of supervisors, as well as under its own bylaws, it is the duty of the board of trade to advertise, make known and develop the resources of the county, including its recreational resources, and to "keep the board of supervisors advised regarding any problem affecting the economy of the county and recommend a course of action for their consideration"; and

Whereas the San Gorgonio Wild Area, located in San Bernardino County, consists of 35,000 acres of which less than 10 percent or approximately 3,500 acres all above the 9,000-foot level, constitute a unique snow area with superb ski slopes and the only reliable snow in southern California; and

Whereas this unique snow area is also an ideal winter olympics training site located within 100 miles of more than 11 million people in southern California (20 million by 1973) and 97 colleges and universities, but is presently unavailable because restricted solely, to wilderness usage, with the nearest comparable site over 325 miles away-out of reach of the average youngsters and students who want to train and ski for recreation but who also want to finish their schooling and collegiate education; and

Whereas because of the population explosion in our county of San Bernardino and thoughtout southern California, because of the tremendous increase in skiing and winter outdoor recreation, and because of the lack of reliable snow at existing southern California ski areas compared to San Gorgonio, it is now clear that this unique snow area is also a unique and major recreational resource of our county;

Whereas this unique snow and recreational area of San Gorgonio is also a prime economic resource, which through carefully planned limited entry and development of facilities for skiing and outdoor recreation, will bring at least $10 million annually into San Bernardino County-the skiing and outdoor recreation dollars that now go north, out of State, and to Europe instead of being spent here a tremendous financial input and benefit to our county, with the increased payrolls, incomes, sales, and public tax revenues that these recreation dollars will generate; and

Whereas during the past year and particularly in the last 4 months there has been a tremendous increase in interest and demand by the public in favor of limited entry in the San Gorgonio Wild Area upon this 3,500-acre unique snow area above 9,000 feet for development of skiing and outdoor recreation facilities which are compatible with and will protect the wilderness usage and values; and

Whereas this tremendous increase in interest and demand has raised numerous questions and problems which can only be answered and solved by a public hearing at which all the facts and policy considerations can be developed and presented; and

Whereas the governmental agency charged by law with the responsibility of holding such a public hearing is the U.S. Forest Service, acting under the leadership of the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Forest Service is equipped to handle such a public hearing; and

Whereas at the present time the Secretary of Agriculture has under consideration the advisability of issuing an order that the Forest Service undertake such a public hearing: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Trade of San Bernardino County, by action on this date, respectfully recommends to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors that, without passing upon the merits, they request and urge the Honorable Orville L. Freeman, Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, to order a public hearing by the Forest Service on the issues and facts governing a determination of whether or not to modify the San Gorgonio Wild Area to permit limited entry on the 3,500 acres and reliable snow area above 9,000 feet for development of skiing and outdoor recreation facilities, with the strict

proviso, however, that such development be recognized only as a necessary and permissible exception to general wilderness policy and usage and not as a precedent to cut down or redraw wilderness-protected areas in the San Gorgonio Wild Area, San Bernardino County, or throughout the United States. W. O. MULLIGAN, Chairman of the Board.

Dated April 22, 1964.

Attest: PAUL S. REYNOLDI.

JOHN R. COOPER.

H. VAN VANTER.

CHAS. C. HOHTEAD.

RESOLUTION BY SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, CONCERNING WHETHER OR NOT A PUBLIC HEARING TO DETERMINE MODIFICATION OF SAN GORGONIO WILD AREA BE HELD TO PERMIT LIMITED ENTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SKIING AND OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITIES EXPRESSING NO OBJECTION TO HOLDING SUCH HEARING

Whereas the board of trade has brought to the attention of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, that the Honorable Orville L. Freeman, Secretary of Agriculture, is considering a public hearing by the U.S. Forest Service, on the issues and facts governing a determination of whether or not to modify the San Gorgonio Wild Area to permit limited entry for the development of skiing and outdoor recreation facilities, with the strict proviso, however, that such development be recognized only as a necessary and permissible exception to general wilderness policy and usage and not as a precedent to cut down or redraw wilderness-protected areas in the San Gorgonio Wild Area, San Bernardino County or throughout the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County, by action on this date, determine that while not requesting a hearing, has no objection to said hearing being held.

Dated April 27, 1964.
Attest:

Chairman of the Board.

V. DENNIS WARDLE,

County Clerk and Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board.
By LEMA RAPPART, Deputy.

COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO,

OFFICE OF BOARD OF TRADE,

San Bernardino, Calif., April 28, 1964.

Re San Gorgonio Wild Area-Hearing on limited entry for the development of skiing and outdoor recreational facilities.

Hon. ORVILLE L. FREEMAN,

Secretary of Agriculture,
Department of Agriculture,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. SECRETARY: In connection with the public hearing by the U.S. Forest Service on the San Gorgonio Wild Area, which you are presently considering, I am happy to forward to you copies of the resolutions of the San Bernardino Board of Trade and the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors.

You will note that the board of trade, by unanimous action on April 22, 1964, recommends that you order a public hearing, and the board of supervisors, by action on April 27, 1964, determined that they have no objection to the hearing being held.

It is our understanding that the hearing would be on the issues and facts governing the modification of the San Gorgonio Wild Area to permit limited entry for the development of skiing and outdoor recreation facilities, with the strict proviso, however, that such development be recognized only as a necessary and permissible exception to general wilderness policy and usage and not as a precedent to cut down or redraw wilderness-protected areas in the San Gorgonio Wild Area, San Bernardino County or throughout the United States.

Very truly yours,

WILLIAM H. MCGURTY,
Industrial Coordinator.

Mr. BARING. I have a letter from the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations, addressed to me as chairman of the subcommittee, stating that the AFL-CIO desires to file a statement in support of the National Wilderness Preservation System for the benefit of all people.

Without objection, the statement will be made a part of the record. Without objection, so ordered.

(The statement follows:)

STATEMENT OF ANDREW J. BIEMILLER, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATION, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR & CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS

On behalf of the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations I wish to express our support for legislation pending before your committee to establish a National Wilderness Preservation System. We strongly supported the bill passed by the Senate in 1963, and we still regard this bill, S. 4, as the best of currently pending approaches to wilderness protection.

However, two other bills, H.R. 9070 and H.R. 9162, with certain amendments by your committee, may provide a basis for progress toward enactment of sound wilderness protection legislation. It is our understanding that the Secretary of the Interior considers H.R. 9162 to offer a satisfactory solution to problems and questions which have been raised about the wilderness protection legislation. We endorse the general position taken by the Secretary of the Interior.

H.R. 9162, unlike S. 4, fails to include primitive areas within the initial wilderness system. Instead, section 3(b) of H.R. 9162 provides for review of these primitive areas by the administration over a 10-year period following enactment of the bill. During this period, the administration will have the opportunity to recommend additions to the basic wilderness system by congressional action on presently designated primitive areas. If the Congress fails to take specific action to add such primitive areas to the wilderness system during the 10-year period, section 3(b) of H.R. 9162 provides that these primitive areas revert to national forest status.

We oppose section 3(b) of H.R. 9162 and we urge that this section be amended to allow a primitive area to continue in that status, even though Congress does not act specifically to include it in the wilderness system during the 10-year period following enactment of the bill. Without such an amendment, section 3(b) would allow commercialization of the primitive areas at the end of the 10year period and irreparable destruction of wilderness values.

Section 4(d) (2) of H.R. 9162 allows 10 years after enactment for valid mineral claims and minerals leasing in wilderness areas set aside by this legislation. In general, such minerals activities are in conflict with the basic purposes of a national wilderness preservation system. Therefore, we urge your committee to consider favorably the provisions of S. 4 which would authorize the President to allow minerals activities in wilderness areas only after he has determined that a special need exists for such activities.

Mr. Chairman, in line with longstanding AFL-CIO policy, we urge early action by your committee and by the Congress on wilderness legislation which contains adequate protections to assure preservation of our wilderness heritage for the benefit of future generations of American citizens.

Mr. BARING. The subcommittee will stand adjourned until 9:45 tomorrow morning.

(At 12:15 p.m., the subcommittee recessed, to reconvene at 9:45 a.m., Friday, May 1, 1964.)