In reply to the Guest Comment letter in the Jan. 17, 2018 Bitterroot Star by Marilyn Wolff, I have to ask where she spent last July, August and September while the forest fires in WA, ID and MT were spewing out choking smoke? It was not safe for anyone to be outside. I know young children that had to be kept inside in order to protect them from the harmful smoke for over a month. I had trouble finding a smoke-free time to mow my lawn. A couple of times I had to mow in the smoke.
The idea of releasing the “Wilderness Study Areas” after the five years of study are up, is to save the “pristine areas” from being destroyed by fire, along with houses, buildings and animals, and our health. Senator Lee Metcalf designed areas in the 1970s, and that was 48 years ago. The forests and land have changed much since then.
As far as tourist trade, has she not read how much state tourist income in 2017 was lost because of the forest fire smoke?
Maybe she needs to start listening to public opinion also.
Sue McCreary
Stevensville