Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-04-18
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Marked Historical Import
Attached to Aid Program
BY BAUKHAGE
Netps Analyst and Commentator.

| lakes, icy streams, a challenging
vista of Mt. San Gorgonio and the
lofty summit of the peak itself-and
they like to ski there. But others
prefer a touch Of civilization-ski-
lows, highway into the place, a
hote[resort near by. So the Califor-
MIA Ski association, with help from
the National Ski association and the
California State Chamber of Com
merce, sponsored a proposal to
build the highway and accommoda-
tons for a big ski resort. 1t looked
as if San Gorgonio would be about
as primitive as television and cook
ing with electronics.
But the Forest Service was keep
ing an open mind. After all, it might
be better to devote San Gorgonio to
more primitive skiing. So last De-
cember the service announced 90
day intention of changing the areas
classification as primitive" This
cleared the way for going ahead
with the skiing developments. The
Forest Service principle is "the
greatest good for the greatest num-
Der in the long rum" and most Of
those who knew about the issue con-
Guided that, based on such thesis,
this bit of the primitive was gone
with the mustache cup and the
Model T.
The service called a public hear
ing in San Bernardino which turned,
somewhat to their surprise, into
what Variety calls a "boff" per-
Torrance. So many people showed
up that the civic auditorium had to
be engaged for two days instead of
one-and, as in congress, the ses-
sions Tapped over until evening.
Supporting the skiers' proposal
were the California State Chamber
Of Commerce, the California Ski as
ISOLATION and 10 ski clubs. That was
about as expected.
1t was the determined opposition
that raised eyebrows. The opposi-
ton included the skiers who like
their sport in the raw, along with
church group representatives with
summer camps at the edge of the
primitive area; spokesman for wa
ter companies who wanted the area
kept in wilderness so as to conserve
its watershed values for orange
growers down the valley. In be-
tween were the mixers, the sports
men, women's clubs, nature lovers,
natural science groups (the area
has six forms of plant life that grow
nowhere else) and civic clubs.
Then there were the letters pour
ing in from all parts of the country
so many that the Forest Service
both in its California Office and in
Washington had to resort to the
mimeograph machines to answer
them. The letters voted overwhelm-
ingly against civilizing the area via
ski-tows and hotels. Now it's up to
Watts.
"We think now that the primitive
area will surely be preserved" says
Howard Zahniser, editor of the
magazine, 1.-THE Living Wilder
ness" land with victory in this
issue we shall certainly be all the
better able to muster support for
the Forest Service in guarding other
threatened areas in our national
wilderness system. But we have no
quarrel with skiing. We want to see
it develop further We hope that San
Gorgonio will become even more
attractive for wilderness skiing
than it is"
Leaping in front of railroad trains
was the favorite form of suicide in
Japan last year. What, no hari-kiri?