Scotchman Peaks should stay a refuge

I think of wilderness as an escape and a refuge: an escape from the noise of my shop machinery and a refuge from all the demands of “modern life.” The Scotchman Peaks area certainly fulfills both needs, even though it often demands strenuous effort to reach its high points.

In the 30-year span of time that I have hiked up Scotchman Peak itself, very much  has changed in Bonner County. There is much more development, much more traffic. In the wilderness, things remain much as they have been for decades. One of the purposes of wilderness classification is to keep an area in an undeveloped state, “untrammeled by man.”

A recent letter to the editor (Daily Bee, April 7) worried about wilderness designation limiting human access, preventing firefighting, losing game management options. In actuality, wilderness limits only mechanized access — foot and horse access are OK. The Wilderness Act very clearly makes exception and allows the Forest Service to use all means at its disposal to fight fires and for health and safety. Fishing and hunting are very much allowed and are usually much better than in areas that have direct vehicle access.

Current “protection” of Scotchman is merely administrative and could be changed quite easily. Rugged terrain is no saving grace, as shown by the road recently bulldozed across the steep mountainside northwest of Sandpoint. Congressional designation as wilderness is the only way to be sure Scotchman remains intact for our grandchildren.

JOHN HARBUCK

Sandpoint