Wilderness draws tourism

I'd like to respond to a Sept. 18 article regarding the wilderness proposal in the Colville National Forest ("Designating wilderness"). Ferry County Commissioner Mike Blankenship is quoted as saying that new wilderness would reduce tourism and eliminate recreation opportunities. Also, keeping the trails open would be more difficult because chainsaws are not allowed in wilderness areas.

Only 3 percent of the 1.1 million acres in the Colville National Forest is presently protected as wilderness. This is the least amount of any national forest in Washington. Wilderness attracts tourist dollars to local communities. According to Forest Service statistics over 12 million hikers, horsemen, hunters, anglers and others visit wilderness areas nationwide each year. A recent issue of Backpacker Magazine, which has national circulation, featured our beautiful Salmo-Priest Wilderness. I have hiked in the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon and met visitors from New York City.

We are all familiar with the budget crunch facing the Forest Service. This summer volunteers from several conservation and recreation organizations have cleared 95 percent of the trails in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness. This was all done without chainsaws. It is quite obvious that people care about our trails and public lands and are willing to give something back.

Kenneth M. Mondal
Spokane