Current wilderness designation guidelines for public lands are too restrictive and therefore do not serve the best interests of the public as a whole.

In order to access designated wilderness areas, one must do it by foot, horseback or by some other animal. Locking up public lands in this manner will effectively bar 95 percent of average citizens from enjoying these areas of beauty and solitude. Families with young children could not hope to access these areas.There needs to be a "Conservative Use Movement" which would be a middle-of-the-road approach to sensitive lands. Such a movement would allow vehicular access while restricting development or commercial use where necessary. Restrictions for commercial use or development would be tailored to the needs of each particular site. Rep. Bill Orton has drafted a bill in this direction.

A. Derk Beckstrand

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