CLINTON'S LAB GRAB WOULD MORE THAN DOUBLE U.S. WILDERNESS AREAS

President Clinton's sweeping plan to place 40 million more acres of national forest land off limits to the general public is an insult to virtually all citizens. Using the excuse that it will stop timber harvest on more roadless areas, the president is effectively stopping most camping, hunting and fishing on these additional acres in the national forests by average American families. This is a blatant land grab by the White House and should be opposed by our U.S. House and Senate on behalf of the real owners of this land: U.S. citizens.

Since no motorized vehicles are allowed in wilderness areas, this decree effectively prevents the average working people from use of another 40 million acres of public land. These men, women and children will not be able to spend the one or two days hiking into and out of these roadless areas of the national forests to enjoy recreational opportunities. Most of these families have only weekends or limited vacation time and thus will be deprived of camping, hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities on land which we all own. The current 38 million acres of wilderness should be more than enough for the people who enjoy backbacking, primitive camping or fishing in pristine wilderness areas of our great country. The private businesses adjacent to these newly designated roadless (soon to be wilderness) areas will also be negatively affected.

We should also voice opposition to this land grab because it would prohibit reasonable timber harvest, controlled burning and environmentally sound mining activities. All of these activities are now subjected to management and environmental oversight by U.S. Forest Service professionals who are required to use public opinion in their major decisions on public-land use.

Add 40 million acres to the current 38 million acres designated as wilderness, and over 40 percent of the national forests will be off limits to normal recreation and hunting. Fishing on these 78 million wilderness acres will be limited to access on foot or horseback.

Controlled, well-managed, selective cutting of trees by timber companies with protected riparian areas around all streams or adjacent hillsides is now and should continue to be used on Forest Service land.

The president's carefully crafted press release would have us believe that this 40 million acres is just a "fraction" of the Forest Service acreage and the land remaining is "vast reaches" of public land. The truth is that this "fraction" is 21 percent of all Forest Service land (including wilderness), and the vast remaining reaches will be 112 million acres. Many of these remaining acres contain public campgrounds, and some are virtual large-city recreation areas.

The further truth is that most of the timber harvest on Forest Service land had been tied up by carefully crafted lawsuits instigated by environmental groups in front of specifically selected judges. If you have purchased lumber in the last five or six years, you have noticed the ever-increasing cost of plywood and 2X4s. This is largely because the supply of timber harvested from national forests has been greatly reduced by federal court orders.

Proceeding with this initiative would be very damaging to rural communities and, most importantly, the rights of the public to access the land they own.

Peter Myers, a state representative from Sikeston, is a former assistant secretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment in the Reagan administration and had direct working oversight over the U.S. Forest Service.