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Thank you, Sen. James Risch, for making a truly bipartisan effort to bring wilderness designation to the Scotchman Peaks area. It has been a long and collaborative process to come to this point.

I grew up next to a wilderness area back in Minnesota and still consider that area my spiritual home. I hope my children, and my children’s children, will have a similar place where they can experience wild areas that have minimal intrusion from human endeavors. It is in such places that we can repair our souls, and just knowing they are there is reassuring.

Life is too sacred and too short to trade off what few wild areas we have left for short-term material gain. We are blessed with thousands of acres of productive forests here in North Idaho that have brought wealth and recreation to our citizens for generations. To have some land that will remain wild forever is just as important.

I hope that many of you will let Sen. Risch’s office know that are most appreciative of his leadership in giving this gift to future generations.

JOHN HASTINGS

Sandpoint