As secretary, I was instructed to send this copy to you for your use at the hearing. Thank you for this opportunity to express our concern. Yours very truly, (S) ADELINE WALKER, Whereas the intent of the Wilderness Act of 1964 was the preservation of natural areas for all the people of the United States and for scientific studies as well as to protect the flora and fauna in the various areas: Therefore be it Resolved, That the Orange County Memorial Garden Center, Inc., at a regular meeting of the board of directors in Costa Mesa, California on November 1, 1965 opposes H.R. 6891 (Dyal), H.R. 7490 (Corman), H.R. 7654 (Leggett), H.R. 8033 (Hawkins), 8176 (H. T. Johnson) and H.R. 9959 (Roosevelt) that would delete 3500 acres from the heart of the San Gorgonio Wilderness for the benefit of certain commercial firms to build entertainment facilities. Mrs. WESTON WALKER, UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF SAN BERNARDINO, San Bernardino, Calif. Whereas the San Gorgonio Mountain Region, located in the San Bernardino National Forest, is classified as a "Wilderness Area" under the 1964 Wilderness Act and Whereas such Wilderness constitutes a valuable resource of natural phenomenon for all people to enjoy and Whereas the San Gorgonio Region specifically contains an unusually rich variety of natural beauty unduplicated anywhere else in the Los Angeles cultural region and Whereas six bills have been introduced to Congress proposing to amend the 1964 Wilderness Act to exclude the Heart of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area thereby permitting commercial development of said area and Whereas once this area is developed commercially, its value as an area of natural wilderness is permanently lost, this fact would tend to further encourage the development of neighboring wilderness area and Whereas there are existing commercial facilities sufficient for the foreseeable demands of urban vacationers: Be it therefore Resolved, That we the members of the San Bernardino Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship support the continuance of the San Gorgonio Mountain Region as a Wilderness Area, and urge the defeat of the proposed amendments that would permit commercial development. Duly passed the 19th of September 1965. WILLIAM H. GUTGESELL, President. PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE, ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE, The Wilderness Act will save some of the natural beauty of our country for the enjoyment of future generations. The San Gorgonio area was included in this excellent act. We feel that the removal of the center portion of the beautiful area for development is a violation of the basic concept of wilderness preservation. Man's greatness can be measured in what he can afford to leave alone. Sincerely yours, BILL DENNEEN PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE. WHITTIER AUDUBON SOCIETY, Whittier, Calif., November 5, 1965. GENTLEMEN: The Whittier Audubon Society hereby wishes to register protest to Bill H.R. 6891 introduced by Mr. Dyal and to the other Bills with similar intent. San Gorgonio is the only area in Southern California where Alpine flora may be found. This is important for study. It is the only area of true wilderness scope where youth groups may learn first hand the importance of nature in a more or less undefiled condition. We have only to look at the San Jacinto Tramway and the deviation from the avowed original purpose to know that the wilderness concept will also be destroyed in San Gorgonio if intrusion such as this is permitted. Once changed, the real wilderness character can never be recaptured. People need San Gorgonio as it is, if Southern California is to retain any of its high mountain value. Hearings held before the Wilderness Bill was passed thoroughly demonstrated the importance of the area in Wilderness, and we recommend that it be kept as it is with the limited use now made of it. Sincerely yours, MRS. J. H. COMBY, Conservation Chairman. SAN CLEMENTE GARDEN CLUB, RESOLUTION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAN GORGONIO WILDERNESS AREA Whereas the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area has for many years been used by youth groups for camping, hiking and riding, thereby giving urban children the educational advantages of learning about nature first hand, and Whereas many people need the refreshment of a few hours or days in the quiet atmosphere of the wilderness to relieve the tensions of every day living, and Whereas the wilderness should be kept for the people and not given to commercial interests whose main objective is to use the people's land for financial gain, and Whereas the necessary cuitting of trees to build roads, parking lots and skilifts is a threat to the watershed: Therefore, be it resolved. That the San Clemente Garden Club at a regular meeting on November 3, 1965 at San Clemente, California strongly recommends the preservation of the integrity of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Areas and opposes H.R. 6891 (Dyal) and its companion bills that would open part of the area to various commercial developments. Mrs. FRED J. CARTER, President. WASATCH MOUNTAIN CLUB, Salt Lake City, Utah, November 5, 1965. HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, SIRS: The Wasatch Mountain Club of Salt Lake City, Utah opposes the six bills H.R. 6891, H.R. 7490, H.R. 7654, H.R. 8033, H.R. 8176, and H.R. 8859. Having worked for the passage of the Wilderness Act and having opposed ski development in the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area in the past we are deeply concerned with this almost instantaneous flaunting of the provisions of that Act. Is the avowed congressional responsibility to preserve designated wilderness areas to be abdicated in the face of the first challenge from commercial pressures? If the Wilderness Act is to be meaningful it must be administered so as to protect wilderness over and over again against repeated and even stronger pressures of this sort. Sincerely yours, B. GALE DICK, Conservation Director. CALIFORNIA AUDUBON SOCIETY, Woodland Hills, Calif., November 6, 1965. HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, GENTLEMEN: As President of the California Audubon Society, I am writing in behalf of the Board of Directors and general membership of the Society, concerning H.R. 6891 and related bills. The passage of H.R. 6891 would destroy forever the heart of this magnificent San Gorgonio Wilderness area which is at present being used by thousands of students and adults as a retreat from the pressures of metropolitan living. We know that if H.R. 6891 and related bills are passed the area concerned and all adjacent areas will be ruined for those seeking true nature at its best. Experienced skiers use the area as it is and find it excellent for their purposes. The passage of H.R. 6891 would spoil the area for these hardy individuals as well as Conservationists, and nature seekers. I would urge your committee to kill this bill at the earliest opportunity. BARBARA K. HOPPER, President. VISTA GARDEN CLUB, Vista, Calif., November 6, 1965. HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, Washington, D.C. DEAR SIRS: This is to say that the Vista Garden Club of Vista, California, is very much opposed to Representative Dyal's Bill (H.R. 6981) and would like to go on record as opposed to any changes in the present use of the San Gorgonio wilderness area. GENTLEMEN: The Howard E. Gates Cactus and Succulent Society wishes to testify in connection with the hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 16, 1965, at City Hall, 426 W. 3rd Street in San Bernardino. The Society with a membership of approximately 150, wishes to go on record as opposing any changes of the present wilderness area of the San Gorgonio wilderness area. Col. J. W. Dennison, president of the Howard E. Gates Cactus and Succulent Society, will represent the society and will be present at the hearing on the above date. ARTHUR H. MONTAGUE. DESERT HOT SPRINGS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION, INC., PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE, GENTLEMEN: I am amazed that new bills are pending when we thought the matter of holding San Gorgonio wilderness for the people and for wild life of which there are too few in this great land of ours where rapidly vested interests are taking over and destroying our great heritage. I have digressed but what I am trying to put over is the fact we oppose the land contemplated for use for "snow fun" which definitely means commercial ski lodges and destruction of wilderness on these resort areas of wilderness for a down-hill ski resort, used by commercial interests for profit. There can be no other interpretation for this insistence on certain groups to secure the release of a part of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. I oppose it strongly and represent several groups on the desert all opposed to Mr. Dyal's Bill and others similar to it. I am president of the Desert Hot Springs Improvement Association for the third year and speak for many of them, all county tax payers and voters. I have served twice on our local Chamber of Commerce. I am a member of The Wilderness Society, The Defenders of Wild-life, the Palm Springs Humane Society etc. I organized the local woman's club, and am now in the process of organizing an Art Association for which the Improvement Association is contributing $10,000.00 toward the first building. On our second meeting of November 7th we already have over 60 members, many from Palm Springs and other desert communities. I speak for many of them who are all conservationists at heart and are tax payers and voters. I don't see why our politicians are so stupid in listening to the demands of the Los Angeles ski corporation and San Gorgonio Ski Lifts, Inc., when the majority of the people are opposed to a ski resort in one of our only remaining wilderness areas in this vicinity unless commercial enterprises take the precedence over that of the citizens and residents of this great state and other states in our great land. When all of our heritage is gone, just as so much of our wild life has reached extinction to the regret of the people and powers to be, then it will be too late to bewail the loss of our wilderness to vested interests, and the congressman who championed them, for they will all be 6 feet under and only our disinherited youth will be wondering why we were so stupid and shortsighted. Very truly yours, EVELYN C. KNUDSEN, Realtor. CALIFORNIA GARDEN CLUBS, INC., SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA GARDEN CLUBS, HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, GENTLEMEN: The San Bernardino Valley District of the California Garden Clubs, Inc. a group of over five hundred members wish to express our opposition to the opening of the San Gorgonio Wilderness for Commercial Ski Lifts. As a group we are dedicated to Conservation, City Beautification, Roadside Beautification and Litterbug Control. We have, and have had for years, a program of Tree Planting, called "Pennies for Pines". Our own District has many such Plantations, some of which have died in the past because of lack of water. Nearly every Club in the state contributes to this project each meeting. We realize that the San Gorgonio Wilderness is the last ecologically beautiful area in Southern California. The west and south slopes of the mountain have already been damaged. The east slope is too steep to be exploited, and now thoughtless or selfish people would like to destroy the north side. Just drive across the United States and see the work of the bulldozer on the slopes of the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. Why spend millions of tax dollars to go to the moon, when the children of the future will not even have a mountain top without smog and buildings, where they may see the moon and the stars above. Very truly yours, PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE, MRS. W. E. MCCOMBE, LIFE TIME FENCE CO., INC., Escondido, Calif., November 5, 1965. GENTLEMEN: The writer is a long time resident of San Bernardino, having spent many vacations in the Barton Flats camp grounds; a past district commissioner of the Boy Scouts of San Bernardino. I have made several hikes to the summit of Mt. San Gorgonio some with the scouts. At present we own a cabin at 207 Forest Home Blvd. in Fallsvale. With most of the Angeles National Forest, Lake Arrowhead and the Big Bear areas commercialized and with the recent tram installed at Mt. San Jacinto we have been left only the San Gorgonio wilderness for the hikers and nature lovers. Years of prior rights should be recognized. There are many camps of scouts, religious groups and citizens of many localities. Hikers and visitors of some 50,000 yearly with half going into the wild area to enjoy nature and wildness all of whom should be considered before the commercial interest (where the money come from) and the desire of the minority (skiers) in your decision on your consideration the bill before you. It is obviously a grab when efforts are being made to cover up the removal of 3500 acres from the desert to replace good mountain land. I do not think that there is any objection to skiing in this area and the effort to hike in to ski would keep the area a wilderness longer but in time as more visitors come in the value will be reduced. To commercialize, the full intention of the bill, would speed up the destruction of the entire area and deprive the existing camps of their prior interest and reasons for their existence. Please leave the San Gorgonio Wilderness as is by keeping out all motorized and commercial equipment. Yours truly, RALPH E. BLAKE. The following citizens of Escondido, Calif., do hereby add their appeal to this request: Philip M. Hoadley, James E. Benton, Avis R Johnston, Charles H. Mueller. PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE, LOMA LINDA, Calif. DEAR SIR: I am commander of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Mounted Posse and I would like to register a protest in behalf of the posse against the proposed attempt to establish commercial skiing interests in the San Gorgonio Wildlife Area. I am also vice-president of the San Bernardino Horsemen's Association and both organizations are against this bill, which in my opinion, is an out and out attempt to prostitute this area for one reason and that is for money. It would be a crime against our young people and other nature lovers who use these hiking and riding trails to open this area up to promoters who interested in only making a profit from public lands. I have used and still use these trails and I implore you to prevent the opening of this area to commercial skiing interests if it is in your power to do so. Sincerely yours, RUSSELL T. KAUFMAN. LOS ANGELES, CALIF., November 5, 1965. HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, DEAR SIRS: Please save the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. For backpacking, it's the best (and only) place to go. We don't plan to drive any further to have fun backpacking for a weekend. Skiers have plenty of places to go, many of them probably in a better location than Gorgonio. To us, it's very important that there is some place in Southern California to backpack. Gorgonio is the only place that fills the bill. Yours truly, Hon WALTER S. BARING, Chairman, Subcommittee, House Washington, D.C. JEFF LIND (And 19 others). NORTHLAND SKI MANFACTURING CO., DEAR MR. BARING: As you know, there is a debate going on in regard to opening the San Gorgonio Mountains to skiers. We can appreciate the desire to maintain it as a wilderness area, however, considering the increasing number of people participating in winter sports, I do feel that nothing but good can come from opening part of San Gorgonio to skiers. |