Vision for the '90s: responsible, shared use - attitude adjustment toward the use of public lands

We are in the midst of our generation's version of the classic struggle over the uses of public lands. Elements of the struggle are the same as they were when John Muir and Gifford Pinchot squared off in decades past. But today's fight has one unique feature: the growing role of the public. Laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) have given the average citizen more access to the planning process. This, coupled with the nation's heightened environmental awareness, has created strong forces for change.

To Idaho outfitters, the Salmon River is the lifeblood of a thriving industry. In 1987 outfitters who work on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, a section that traverses the Frank Churh-River of No Return Wilderness, introduced a resolution at the annual meeting at the Idaho outfitters association demanding the cessation of mining activity along the lower stretches of the river. Opposition to the resolution came from a surprising source--other river outfitters.

"We've been working beside those mines for years without any problems," they said. "Many of us are former miners and loggers. We get along fine, so you upriver guys butt out!"

The resolution failed, but the discussion was an education in the shared use of public resources.

Last year was Idaho's centennial. The Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association (IOGA) sponsored a three-week float trip traversing the entire length of the Salmon, commemorating its role in Idaho history. The focal point of the event was a 33-foot wooden scow, a replica of the vessel used by pioneers to supply mines and homesteads in the remote depths of the river canyon. The trip was a partnership effort by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, do-it-yourself boaters, and outfitters.

As the trip progressed past the small communities that dot the banks, I was impressed by two profound images. One was the turnout of local citizenry to help celebrate the centennial and the Salmon River's part in Idaho history. Farmers, ranchers, loggers, miners, fishermen, and recreationists had all made this river a part of their life.

The second image was the quality of the resource. After more than a century of use by people from all walks of life, the Salmon River is a shining example of how well multiple use has worked. It is also a good example of the sensitivities that need to be recognized during Idaho's second 100 years.

The unique history and value of the Salmon River is also one reason Dale Robertson, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and Stan Tixier, the Forest Service's Region Four forester, chose the Salmon in 1989 and 1990 for river trips to highlight and support the concept of multiple use of our national forests.

The participants on these two trips were too numerous to list, but Stan had in mind a program IOGA and the Forest Service have used successfully since

1987--Partners Afloat and Partners Astride )see AMERICAN FORESTS, November/December 1990). The partnership program has brought together outfitters and public-land managers to discuss their concerns and to highlight their common goals of caring for the land and serving people. The float and pack trips have been the catalyst for moving outfitters and managers from an era of conflict and distrust to an era of focus on shared rights, responsibilities, and partnership.

At the close of the 1987 Partners Afloat trip, Jerry Myers of Silver Cloud Expeditions said to the managers, "We have a lot of interests in common. This river in particular! You went into your business because you care about the land and want to be close to it. So did we. We need to work together."

The Chief's float trips have made me realize that the concerns I have for the outfitting industry's operations in the '90s are similar to concerns shared by the grazing, timber, and mineral industries.

The multiple-use industries have resisted change. Radicalism and strident demands by some elements of the environmental community have left little room for flexibility. During the '80s the struggle led to an unprecedented polarization in the public's position on use of public lands. The result today is a serious threat to the traditional multiple-use concept for public lands.

During a recent discussion of NEPA and its impact on permit renewals for outfitters Dick Woodrow of the Forest Service stated, "Someone out there is trying to stop everything that is going on on national forest lands, and NEPA is one of the processes they can use." That certainly applies whether you are concerned about your timber sale, grazing allotment, oil and gas lease, or a reserved camp for your clients.

So what are we going to do about it? Are we going to throw in the towel and look for another line of work? I've seen several respected outfitters who were unable to adjust to the present realities of working on public lands. They simply sold out and left. Should we draw a line in the dirt and fight to the death? One timber participant on the Chief's trip suggested just that, saying, "There will be blood spilled in the national forests this summer!" The group rejected that point of view.