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<br />have done so with full knowledge of what they were doing. However, <br />he felt it would q~ petter for these forested areas to be destroyed by <br />fire in a natural condition than to be destroyed by man-building roads <br />through the areas in order to protect ~gainst the fires. <br /> <br />Section 4 provides for the creation of a National Wilderness <br />Pres€rvation Council with several members, including the Secretary <br />of the Smithsonian Institution, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secre- <br />tary of Agriculture, and appointed members. This agency would <br />serve the purpose of coordinating activities and information concern- <br />ing wilderness. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />With this brief review of the legislation, let I s go back and <br />see what some of the principal issues' of the legislation are. <br /> <br />In reviewing the basic issues involved in S. 1123, let us <br />begin with the last important section of the legislation and work <br />back to the first. <br /> <br />The last important section of the Bill, I have mentioned, <br />creates a Wilderness Council. To my knowledge, this is the first <br />time that legislation has been proposed which would establish a coun- <br />cil devoted to the dissemination of information concerning one use, <br />that is, wilderness use, of our reserved and public lands. It would <br />be supported by tax money, and it is anticipated, I think with good <br />reason, that it will be active in seeking the designation of additional <br />areas of wilderness. I think that if this is good policy for our Nation- <br />al Government, it should also establ}sh a Forestry Council, a Recrea- <br />tion For the Family Council, a Water Development Council, a Water- <br />shed Management Council, a Grazing Council, a Wildlife Council, <br />and similar councils, all supported 1;Jy tax funds, to promote each <br />individual use of the public lands. If this is not a good policy for all <br />of these various types of uses, it seems clear that it is not a good <br />policy for wilderness use. As a pra'ctical matter, such a council <br />would mean another agency through which all matters dealing with <br />wilderness areas, and possibly even, potential wilderness areas, <br />would have to be processed, which means additional red tape on <br />the Washington scene. Hence, the i,ssue is, is this a good thing, <br />and if so, is it worth the money it would require out of our tax <br />funds to support it? <br /> <br />Next, we go to the restrictions and exceptions contained <br />in Section 3. Without dealing in detail with each of these issues, <br />I <br />they are as follows: <br /> <br />12 <br /> <br />