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I remember several years ago, riding up the chair lift at Squaw Valley with a lady who was in her sixties and her comment on the vista that can be seen from Squaw Peak was that she probably never would have been able to enjoy the view except for the chair lift that was put in. She was highly appreciative of the fact that more people, particularly skiers, could get to the top of a mountain and although they were there primarily to ski, they couldn't help but enjoy the view.

Skiing in the last ten years has encouraged many city people as well as the rural folks to get out and enjoy the cold winters. It is a great recreational sport and ties in very nicely with the President's physical fitness program.

San Gorgonio Mountain is particularly important to Southern California because they have so few mountains that have snow in adequate quantities and in long enough periods. Yet, we have a great concentration of people and skiers in this area.

We support opening San Gorgonio Mountain to skiing and hope that your committee will pass in favor of this.

Very truly yours,

M. W. MORANCY.

COLORADO OPEN SPACE COORDINATING COUNCIL,
Denver, Colo., November 11, 1965.

CHAIRMAN, PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE,

San Bernardino, Calif.

National Orange Show Building,

DEAR SIR: We request that the enclosed statement be made a part of the official record of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Field Hearings, November 16-17, 1965. Yours very truly,

WILLIAM BIRD MOUNSEY, Chairman, Wilderness Workshop.

STATEMENT ON THE SAN GORGONIO WILDERNESS

The Wilderness Workshop of the Colorado Open Space Coordinating Council, Inc. opposes the proposals which would in effect cut the heart out of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. This most heavily used unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System is of prime importance to the nation as a wilderness, and usage indicates that the present area should be increased if suitable wildernesstype lands exist adjacent to it.

There is growing interest and activity among skiers in touring through wilderness-type areas away from the highly developed ski slopes. This type of family winter recreational activity requires no development and is entirely compatible with wilderness. The present San Gorgonio Wilderness constitutes the only area where this type of activity can be extensively enjoyed in Southern California.

PETITIONS

ALTADENA, CALIF., November 15, 1965.

COMMITTEE STUDYING SAN GORGONIO WILDERNESS AREA,
City Hall,

San Bernardino, Calif.:

We, the following, wish to express our support of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area and its maintenance as such.

We ask this as individual citizens in the interests of conservation, to preserve a small portion of the fast decreasing primitive land in the midst of a mushrooming population area for our children and their children.

This area was originally so designated and this trust should not be broken.

WARREN K. KELLOGG
(And 16 others).

YUCAIPA, CALIF.

We, the undersigned members and friends of Yucaipa Valley Garden Club as citizens are opposed to H.R. 6891, the Dyal bill as we desire to keep the wilderness area of San Gorgonio to remain in its natural state. We feel that the term "family winter recreation is deceptive" and we do not wish this vital watershed of this entire area devastated by commercial interests. We believe that the replacement of lands withdrawn is not possible. And, that the heartland of the San Gorgonio Wild Area is unique and should be kept intact for posterity. MILDRED M. AIKENS

To Defenders of San Gorgonio:

(And 67 others). INGLEWOOD, CALIF.

As members of Camera Chromers, and as associates of The Southern California Council of Camera Clubs, who urge that we help 'Keep America Picture Pretty, we are anxious that wilderness areas be preserved for all. Let us not allow commercial and private interests to encroach on these areas, but let us keep them as they are for the enjoyment of all.

Let's keep the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area just that, a wilderness area. Mrs. GENEVIEVE T. SELLERS

(And 24 others). VICTORVILLE, CALIF.

The undersigned pledge their support for legislation to open 10% of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area for family winter recreation.

PATRICIA FLYNN
(And 59 others).

We, the students of Loma Linda Union Academy, do hereby protest, by the affixture of our names to this petition, the installation of a ski lift, or tram way in the vicinity of the San Gorgonio wilderness area.

We firmly believe that the preservation of our wilderness areas is needed so that those persons, both adult and youth, who wish to enjoy their beauty would, by physical effort enjoy them more and be thereby more inclined to preserve their beauty by not littering the countryside. This implies that only those who sincerely wish to enjoy the beauties of these areas would endeavor to put forth the effort required to see them and would consequently leave them in a clean and unlittered state for their successors to enjoy.

CURT ROGERS (And 201 others).

VAN NUYS, CALIF.

PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE, HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

We the undersigned do hereby state our opposition to the following bills: HR6891, HR7490, HR7654, HR8033, HR8176, HR8859.

It is our desire that the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area shall remain in its primitive state. The area that these bills designate for development represents the very heart of this Wild Area. Since this is the only primitive area set aside in Southern California it is our belief that to destroy it would be a tragedy especially for the tens of thousands of young people who backpack into the region each year.

LEW HATFIELD
(And 90 others).

LOS ANGELES, November 15, 1965.

Representative CRAIG HOSMER,
National Orange Show Building,

San Bernardino, Calif.

DEAR SIR: We support the H.R. 6891.

J. L. ANTHONY
(And 22 others).

NOVEMBER 10, 1965.

PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE,

HOUSE INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS COMMITTEE,

Longworth House Office Building,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR SIRS: We, Sylva C. Millar and Wendel K. Millar, authorize Jeanne Moore Goodman to represent us at the hearings, in San Bernardino, on November 16 and 17. As a former neighbor, she is qualified to testify in behalf of those of us who live on the edge of a beautiful wilderness set aside for posterity-and who resent attempts to capitalize on it commercially.

We, the undersigned, of Fallsvale, Calif., go on record in favor of leaving San Gorgonio part of the National Wilderness System. (Signed by 28 residents whose names will be found in the committee file.)

STATEMENT OF BUENA VISTA AUDUBON SOCIETY, CARLSBAD, CALIF.

Please make this statement a part of the record of the San Gorgonio field hearings:

We are bitterly opposed to the commercial ski run that would destroy the heart of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. It would be a crime to emasculate this area.

PUBLIC LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE,
Washington, D.C.

C. M. CALDWELL CO. PETROLEUM PRODUCTS,
Culver City, Calif., November 12, 1965.

GENTLEMEN: Again the controversial issue of changing the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area into an area that would permit intrusion by commercial interests has come up. It seems that every year it comes up and we must beat it down. As chairman of the camping committee, Boy Scouts of America, Crescent Bay Council, which encompasses a large part of western Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Culver City and Santa Monica, I implore you not to allow this to take place. This is my personal attitude and also reflects the attitude of our Board of Directors which acted upon this last year.

Our scouts use this area many times during the year and precious little room is left in Southern California for enjoyment of true wilderness. All pressure to change this area by the commercial interests must be resisted in order to fulfill our obligations to future generations.

Very truly yours,

C. M. CALDWELL, Jr.

A large number of letters, telegrams, and postcards, both pro and con, were received from individuals. Because of the cost involved, these documents were not printed but were placed in the committee files.

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