We need wilderness for many reasons. Boys and girls cannot learn about nature on the asphalt playground of their school or in our increasingly crowded and "apartmentized" residential areas. Since we are becoming more aware of the importance of understanding the ecology of our environment, researchers and students of the life sciences need natural laboratories where they can observe the natural state. People of all ages need wilderness for its spiritual, esthetic, and therapeutic values-values which are becoming increasingly scarce to residents of our base metropolitan areas. The concrete canyons of the city can hardly compete with the architecture of nature when it comes to creating a sense of awe and reverence in men. But, these values are diminished by a powerline or ski lift marring the view and, more importantly, the wilderness' sense of solitude and integrity—and do not forget that roads accompany these facilities. Why not give up 10 percent of the San Gorgonio wilderness? Let us answer that question with another. Why only 10 percent? If the present population requires 10 percent for developed ski facilities, what will the population 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years from now require? Will we then be asked to sacrifice another 10 percent of the wilderness? Or, 20 percent? I think these questions are best answered by a look at the Los Angeles Times of November 5, 1965. In the special supplement entitled "Ski World" there is revealed the never-ending expansion that most, if not all, existing areas are experiencing. One article titled "Expansion Never Really Stops on Mammoth Mountain Ski Slopes" expresses succinctly the fact that once an area is opened, even slightly, to development, more and more development inevitably follows. After all, it is human nature to want more of a good thing. But, wilderness is a good thing too, and its supply is fixed. Technology can increase the supply of ski areas in some cases; for example, snow machines can augment natural snow conditions and better transportation can make remote areas more accessible, but technology cannot create wilderness. It can only destroy it. Thank you very much. STATEMENT OF G. R. ANDERSON, RIVERSIDE, CALIF., INDIVIDUAL Mr. ANDERSON. Gentlemen of the Public Lands Subcommittee I have many reasons for preserving our last high wilderness area and strongly protest a ski lift which would open it for commercial pur poses. I bought a cabin in the Big Pines area close to Forest Home and use this cabin as a retreat to get away from the congestion of city life, and desire to keep the wildlife and all their natural setting intact from the mobs of people whose only interest would be pleasure and cause a hazard to our watershed, and many accidents on our highways and mountain roads. Hiking, fishing, and hunting and family camping areas would certainly suffer much. I have talked to one sporting goods store, which I would rather not name, whose only interest would be the sale of skiing equipment and moneys derived from this source. Our future children yet to grow up would not have the natural things of life such as the deer, bears, birds of many kinds, tree squir rels, butterflies, trees of many kinds, plants also. Many busloads of schoolchildren come up here supported by the different school districts to learn about nature, and all this would be hampered by the mobs of pleasure seekers whose only interest would be skiing. I am very much aware of the need for campsites and those who enjoy camping out, and certainly would not hinder this type of pleasure. One cannot be selfish and stop those who need to get away from the big cities and smog. I sure know only too well the need for more rangers to keep people in control, to prevent littering and fire hazards. I am a committeeman for Young Life Campaign (youth work for high schools) and kids enjoy the wildlife and the natural setting, hiking, et cetera. And, southern California needs San Gorgonio as a wilderness area. Thank you, gentlemen. STATEMENT OF S. R. EBERLY, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FARM BUREAU Mr. EBERLY. Honored gentlemen, the San Bernardino County Farm Bureau opposes H.R. 6891 and related bills because: 1. The proposed development threatens the water supply which is vital to agricultural and urban need. It is known that water crop diminishes as population increases. 2. More people and more traffic in the wild area will increase the fire hazard, multiplying the flood menace that follows large burns. 3. The best interests of all the people will be best served by maintaining the San Gorgonio wilderness area as set aside by the 1964 Congress. 4. If the proposed development is allowed, it will be impossible to deny further requests, and the last remaining wilderness in southern California will be commercialized. The position of the 1,500-member county farm bureau is supported by a 1964 Resolution 86 of the California Farm Bureau Federation (60,000 members) and the American Farm Bureau Federation policy on natural resources, which states in part: Congress has again assumed its constitutional responsibility in regard to wilderness areas. We commend this action. The citizens of California as well as the agricultural and industrial economy of the State are becoming more and more dependent upon public lands for multiple use including water necessary to insure our future well being. We oppose movements by certain groups to limit the use of such areas, to the detriment of other segments of the population dependent on the areas Thank you very much, gentlemen. STATEMENT OF JEAN G. DEAN, VAQUEROS de las MONTANAS RIDING CLUB OF BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIF. Mrs. DEAN. Gentlemen, I am Jean G. Dean, treasurer of the Vaqueros de las Montanas Riding Club of Big Bear Lake, Calif. This group has elected me as their spokesman to express opposition to bills now before the Congress which would permit a ski development in the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. pass Our active riding group located in Bear Valley notes with each ing year the encroachment of people and homes in our mountain area and the results are less and less natural riding and hiking trails. Living in an area of several fine ski developments which are not used to their capacity, we feel strongly that another ski area. is not what is needed, but that instead the people of coming generations will desperately need a natural forest and mountain area to visit, free of manmade improvements. Mrs. Harlan and myself represented our club at the 1963 North American Trail Conference competitive ride and know how indeed the San Gorgonio area is for this type of activity to which entrants come from all over California. Our club has ridden and hopes to continue to be able to ride these wonderful trails in a wilderness environment. We request that this statement be entered into the record of the San Bernardino hearings, of the Public Lands Subcommittee, on the San Gorgonio issue. Thank you very much. STATEMENT OF NEALE E. CREAMER, CHAIRMAN, CAMPING COMMITTEE, CRESCENT BAY AREA COUNCIL OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Mr. CREAMER. Gentlemen, the Crescent Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America has asked me as chairman of the camping committee, Beverly Hills district, to present this subcommittee its views with respect to H.R. 6891 and related proposals. Crescent Bay Area Council is very distressed at the recurrent attempts to allow a ski resort complex within San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. Attached hereto is a letter to this subcommittee from Donald W. Douglas, Jr., president of Crescent Bay Area Council, summarizing the position of the council. Basically, the council is opposed to H.R. 6891 because youth-or, because the scouting program, as well as the programs of other youth organizations, depends for its quality on the use of San Gorgonio as a wilderness, which use would be substantially, if not totally, prescribed by the installation of mechanized ski facilities. The basis for this conclusion is as follows: 1. A ski resort in San Gorgonio would most likely be centered in the Dry Lake Basin.-From my firsthand knowledge as a skier who has skied at San Gorgonio, and as one who has examined the various proposals by those in the ski industry who would wish to invest capital to develop San Gorgonio, the most suitable area for a ski resort, both from the point of view of terrain and economics, would be the slopes surrounding Dry Lake. The fact that other parts of San Gorgonio could be developed for skiing is irrelevant in the long run since the development of an inferior area would only lead to additional pressure for the development of the superior area. 2. A ski resort could only grow into a resort with substantial permanent facilities and lodges operating both summer and winter. There is no way of guaranteeing, whether by congressional legislation or Forest Service regulation, that a ski development of San Gorgonio would not expand into a year-round operation including overnight accommodations and entertainment facilities. It would be unheard of to prevent the public from using during the summer the multilane highway which the taxpayers would be required to build to service any ski resort within San Gorgonio. And, it would only be naive to imagine that the ski resort operators: would limit their facilities and the use thereof if economics eventually dictated otherwise. In fact, most major ski resorts operate during: the summer and, since the skiers so wish, provide overnight and entertainment facilities; for example, examine such areas as Mammoth,, Squaw Valley; Sun Valley. Mount Baldy ski resort even claims that over 70 percent of its visitors are sightseers, not skiers. As evidence of the extensive desires of one of the commercial interests wishing to develop San Gorgonio, I attach hereto a certified copy of the application of San Gorgonio Ski Lifts, Inc., for a permit to sell and issue $30,000 of its stock. 3. Scouts and other youth groups extensively use the Dry Lake Basin as a base for their wilderness experience.-Scouts in the Crescent Bay Area Council, even though over 100 miles distant, use Dry Lake as the base for their wilderness experience. The following is a mere sampling of the use of Dry Lake by districts: within our council for their annual wilderness camporees: April 30-May 1, 1966: Beverly Hills district (estimated). May 2-3, 1964: Beverly Hills district_. April 30-May 1, 1966: Beverly Hills district estimated). Scouts 120 239 100. 120 400 The area is also used by our council for its winter camping program. The above list does not attempt to include all the use that Dry Lake receives from youth groups. However, an examination of a register placed at Dry Lake indicated that over 33 percent of the visitors were members of organized youth groups. Attached hereto is a list of such groups for the period covered. 4. Permanent resort structures would destroy the wilderness values of the area. Obviously, the existence of a multilane highway, parking lot, many ski lifts and ski lift towers, and permanent buildings, especially if they were operated during the summer, would utterly destroy any wilderness experience value of Dry Lake. It is hard for boys to get a wilderness experience when they can see others drive up to the area where they are camped, or glide overhead on a thin cable, or where the Scouts can sneak out of camp to get a Coke. 5. San Gorgonio Wilderness Area, and more particularly, Dry Lake, is the only place in southern California where youth groups can have a satisfactory wilderness experience. While there are other places in southern California which are undeveloped, Dry Lake is the only place in southern California which can handle large groups in a wilderness setting. It is the only area where open campfires are permitted year round, where the boys have to build their own cooking stoves, their own campsites. In other words, it is the only area where the boys can experience the intangible benefits of wilderness, and can learn to rely on themselves. {,, We acknowledge that skiing is a growing sport. In fact, skiing is part of Scouting. However, since Scouting is aimed at boys of all 58-133-67-24 economic strata, of all backgrounds, skiing in Scouting is done without the benefit of costly ski lifts. In addition, while wilderness lands are disappearing from our country at a growing rate, mechanized ski resorts are increasing in number. Once wilderness is developed, it is gone forever, and gone with it is the chance for our youth to experience and absorb the pioneering spirit, and independence which has made our country so great. Therefore, we urge the subcommittee to continue its fine record as guardian of the public trust by rejecting H.R. 6891 as ill-conceived legislation. Here is a chart showing youth groups signing register at Dry Lake from May through September and it reads as follows: Youth groups signing register at Dry Lake, May 18 through Sept. 18, 1963 NOTE.-Interviews at Dry Lake indicated that less than 25 percent of all visitors to Dry Lake signed the register. I would, at this time, like to read a letter from Mr. Donald W. Douglas, Jr., president, Crescent Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. |