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Show suffer when proper management is lacking. Federal agencies' records prove that use is paramount to proper management. S. 4028 would prevent the proper management of this resource. Such lack of management is a potential threat to any proposed wilderness area. The Big Wilderness Battle The current controversy over the proposed Wilderness bill has stirred up considerable feeling in Utah and in other Western states. Attention was focused on the bill by recent hearings conducted con-ducted in Salt Lake City. Attention was focused on the bill by recent hearings conducted con-ducted in Salt Lake City. Both sides brng forth convincing arguments. However, it seems that the great bulk of persons appearing before the recent hearings were there in opposition. There seems to be one all-important question to be answered. Would the primitive areas that will be set aside under the bill be for the use and enjoyment by the people? The answer is yet, but only in a restricted way and only to those limited few in a financial bracket who could afford guides and pack trips, or to those few with the physical stamina to endure long outdoor trips on foot. The U. S. Forest Service, in its last record year report, states that nine-tenths of one per cent of the total national forest visitors entered the 14 million acres of national forest land, at present classified as wilderness, wild, or primitive areas. This would certainly seem to demonstrate that the benefits of the propose program are actually of value to a very special and restricted re-stricted minority of our population. Tourists from our Eastern states, who anually come to Utah with limited funds and limited time, have the right to expect adequate accommodations within our federal lands and adequate roads by which to view our many scenic wonders. Present facilities and roads are, at present, inadequate. S.4028 will curtail cur-tail the existing facilities and roads and prevent future development develop-ment of such facilities, thus locking this area to many thousands of Eastern tourists. In our opinion, S.4028 would destroy to a great degree the present multiple use system of- the management and development develop-ment of our federal lands. A system which has proved so beneficial bene-ficial in preserving and maintaining the wilderness effect of our federal lands. A system which has made available Utah's federally fed-erally owned areas to the sportsmen, recreationists and various segments of our economy. Increasing population, combined with the trend toward a shorter work week, stresses a greater need for the expansion of the multiple use of these areas. Under present management these uses are entirely compatible. This is simply wise use, providing pro-viding themost good for the most people over a long period of time. For example, let's take our forest areas. From the standpoint stand-point of forest management, wilderness areas are far from desirable. Wilderness areas lead to unmanaged stands of timber, which increases the chances for outbreaks of insects and diseases. Unmanaged stands of timber become stagnated, and in recent years, an expenditure of some 500 million dollars was made in neighboring Colorado to control an insect outbreak which built up in stagnated trees. In unmanaged stands the forest fire hazard is increased due to an increasing accumulation of fuel on the ground. Should a fire start, the control stiution is further complicated by lack of access roads. ! Well managed forests create a desirable wildlife habitat; : stagnated, unmanaged forests do not. Wildlife, and the forest, i |