3 New Wilderness Areas Spark Toll Talk, Mountain Biker Dejection

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• September 20, 2015

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STEPHEN REISS, TIMES-NEWS PHOTOS

Don Shouse hikes the Fourth of July Trailhead to get to Born Lakes in the White Clouds Wilderness on Sept. 1.

Idaho Wilds

3 New Wilderness Areas Spark Toll Talk, Mountain Biker Dejection NATHAN BROWN

“Congressman Simpson has been an unbelievable leader on this issue. ... We never lost hope that these areas would fall under true wilderness protection.”

nbrown@magicvalley.com

STANLEY • With President Barack Obama’s signature last month, 296,000 acres in Custer and northern Blaine counties received federal wilderness protection. One of the largest roadless areas in the country, the protected acres cover breathtaking mountains and alpine lakes, and fish and wildlife habitat including the world’s highest-elevation salmon runs. But what does the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act mean for people who live in this remote area of Idaho? The city of Stanley is getting land to help address its perennial shortage of housing for seasonal workers. Custer County commissioners, meanwhile, want to erect a toll gate on one of the main wilderness access roads in hopes of making out-oftowners share the maintenance costs. And while the bill had wide support, mountain bikers feel left out because the 1964 Wilderness Act’s prohibition on mechanized vehicles means they are shut out of some formerly popular trails. U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, has worked on protecting the Boulder Mountains and White Cloud Mountains for almost his entire term in Congress only to see previous attempts stall. This year he hammered out a version that left some motorized trails out of the wilderness area. It won the support of U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho,

Gary O’Malley, executive director of the Sawtooth Society

“Nobody wanted wilderness. ... It is literally a playground for the wealthy and does not benefit all of the normal people out here.” Wayne Butts, chairman of the Custer County Board of Commissioners

Sawtooth National Forest wilderness coordinator Liese Dean at the Fourth of July Trailhead, a gateway to the White Clouds Wilderness, outside Stanley on Sept. 1. who went from killing the previous iteration to carrying the bill in the Senate. With the possiSee more of the bility of a presidenTimes-News’ best work tial declaration of a at Magicvalley.com/ national monument bigstory. if the bill didn’t pass — an alternative that would have protected about twice as much land but, some opponents feared, might have led to a use plan developed without local input — Simpson’s bill sailed through Congress without opposition and was signed into law in early August. “I don’t know if you could call it (my) legacy,” Simpson told the Times-News editorial board the day after his bill cleared the Senate. “I’m

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protecting the Boulder-White Clouds is what it is. It’s obviously a very important bill to me, and I think it’s a very important bill to Idaho.” For Simpson and for environmental groups such as the Idaho Conservation League, the bill’s passage was reason to celebrate. “It’s taken us 15 years to get the broad support that we got on this,” Simpson said. The ICL has worked to protect the BoulderWhite Clouds since the group was founded in 1973 — just a year after a battle to block a proposed molybdenum mine on Castle Peak led to the creation of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. “That was definitely an issue that the original founders were involved in,” said Dani Mazzotta, who works in the ICL’s Ketchum office. Please see WILDERNESS, A8

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Travel Maps See detailed travel maps of all three wilderness areas — showing what uses are allowed on particular roads and trails in and around the areas — attached to this story on Magicvalley.com.

More Photos See more of Stephen Reiss’ photos of the region around Idaho’s three newest wilderness areas, on Magicvalley.com. More inside: Monument potential sped up wilderness creation. See A9

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