Robert Smith: “I rise in opposition to the Montana wilderness bill. Its purpose really is to do two things. It is first to designate…”

“I rise in opposition to the Montana wilderness bill. Its purpose really is to do two things. It is first to designate about 1 rac{1}{2} ext{ million acres of wilderness in Montana, and, by the way, this has been mentioned, but it is twice the size that the Forest Service recommended to be designated as wilderness in Montana. And the second thing this bill provides is the, quote, release of some 3 million acres of lands not suitable for wilderness but in wilderness study areas. Supposedly these lands are now released to be used for timber production. Not so. This bill is a sham, and, if anybody says that we are releasing 3 million acres of land for timber production, they are not telling the truth. This bill will establish massive and more wilderness areas, and it certainly gives nothing back to the hard-working people of the State of Montana who depend upon natural resources. The release language in this bill is so weak that even the lands not suitable for wilderness will be set aside in a park-like status in perpetuity. Preservationist will continue to block timber sales and timber communities will continue to choke to death.”