Arizona sun., 1962-01-11
congressnan's Report
BY MORRIS X. UD Ill

mote from roads and facilities
that few persons can enjoy
them, or the preserving OF
moose for the sake CT the
moose" Proponents have said
that we have a duty to future
generations to preserve some
of the natural beauty OF anne
RIGA before it is gone forever.
Already the Senate has cast
it's lot overwhelmingly with
those who recognize this OBJ.
legation.
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
It is important that the peo-i
pie of Arizona understand what
the Wilderness Bill is, for Ari-
zona ranks third behind Alas.
ka and California among all
the states in the amount OF
land affected by the bill.
The Wilderness Bill is con-
fined to presently-held federal
lands. 1t does not propose to
go out and acquire new lands
not now in federal ownership.
In addition, the bill has pro-
visions to protect existing rec
reational, mining, numbering,
grazing, and other legitimate
uses. The Wilderness Bill in
wolves the last land areas in
our country still free from the
encroachments of m0tels, re-
sorts, neon signs, roads, auto
mobiles, hamburger stands,
beer cans, bottles and ciga-
beer cans, bottles and ciga-.
rette butts. When enemies of
wilderness preservation speak
about the need to use these
lands 10 bolster western econo-
mics, let us imagine what KIND
of a country this would be if
there were no escaping such
omnipresent manifestations of
civilization" ~ e
Like the New Yorker who
may never see the Grand
Canyon but feels somehow hap
pier merely knowing it is there,
all Americans can derive sat
isfaction. l believe, knowing
that there are places in our
country to which they can go
to find peace and solitude a
way from the imprint of mans
works.
But what about our national
forests and parks-what is to
become of them? The answer
is that they will continue as
before. Here there will continue
to be roads, resort facilities,
the use of motor boats and
airplanes, and all the other
activities that have become a
part of recreation in these
areas. The Wilderness Bill
merely sets aside certain un-
developed, wild areas for per-
petuation in their natural state.
EFFECTS IN ARIZONA
"A look at the land are as in
volved in Arizona will give an
idea of what the bill encom-
passes and how it relates to
the national forests and parks.
The state of Arizona comprises
R2.688,OOO acres Of land of
which 1896, 900 acres, or 44.6
percent, are under federal own
ership in the form of national
forests, parks and the like,
and 10. .383, 900 acres, or 26.7
percent, are under federal
management on behalf of the
various Indian tribes. Thus,
71.3 percent of our state is
owned or managed by the fed
eral government. The Wilder
ness Bill would neither add
to nor reduce this area. Rather,
it would set aside a maximum
of 3,661,347 acres presently
under federal ownership, an
area representing five percent
of the state, to- be part of the
wilderness system.
- Thewilderness area would be
made up of land presently
classified as wilderness,
wild, or primitive. = In Ari-
zona the proposed wilderness
system would encompass the
following areas presently classi-
+. fled. as wilderness" 205, 600
acres in the Mazatzal Mount
aims northeast of Roosevelt
Dam; '124, ,140 acres in Super
(C1,k;x,,oI ,,ovf xxoal>l