Number: 1982-20
WHEREAS, the West Big Hole area and the East and West Pioneer Mountains of the Big Hole Watershed offer some of the best wildlife habitat and fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation opportunities anywhere in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, the West Pioneer Mountains with its elk herd of approximately 1,000 animals is one of the few places left in Montana where large six point bull elk can still be hunted; and
WHEREAS, these three areas and their wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing opportunities are threatened by massive logging development, including over 200 miles of new logging roads; and
WHEREAS, these three areas are critical watershed areas for the nationally famous Big Hole River and massive logging within them could seriously impact both the quality and quantity of water in the stream which already suffers from serious problems; and
WHEREAS, there are approximately 1,700,000 acres of land in the Beaverhead National Forest now available to the timber industry while the three areas mentioned above contain some of the most non-productive timber lands in Montana;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 18-2l, 1982, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hereby urges the Forest Service and the Montana Congressional Delegation to act quickly to protect fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing values within the West Big Hole and East and West Pioneer Mountain areas by designating these areas either as wilderness or as special wildlife management areas (in which wildlife management would be the dominant use); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation opposes the introduction into Congress of any legislation releasing the West Pioneers from its present wilderness study status until we are assured that the area’s watershed and wildlife values will be protected by the area’s designation as wilderness or as a special wildlife management area.