Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Campaign

Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Campaign

Roughly 60 miles south of Canada, the 88,000 acre Scotchman Peaks roadless area spans the Idaho-Montana border. Since the 1970s, when the U.S. Forest Service carried out extensive evaluations of lands suitable for wilderness, this rugged, scenic and biologically diverse portion of the Cabinet Mountains has been managed for its wilderness potential.

Looming above Lake Pend Oreille and the Clark Fork River in the Cabinet Mountains, Scotchman Peak is the highest point in Bonner County, Idaho, at 7009 feet. Straddling the Idaho/Montana border, the Scotchman Peaks offer a place of quite refuge. Nearby are the communities of Troy, Noxon and Heron, Montana, as well as Clark Fork, Hope and Sandpoint, Idaho.

In northern Idaho there are large areas of wild land. Not one is protected. Vast areas of wild land in western Montana also go unprotected. As our country's population grows and more land is developed, our open spaces are shrinking at an alarming rate.

Right now these wild areas belong to all of us - all of the citizens of this country - for us to use and enjoy in a variety of ways such as camping, fishing, hunting, hiking and backpacking, as well as observing and photographing the many species of wildlife and native plants that make these lands their home. But leaving them unprotected means that these beautiful public lands could potentially be taken away from us without our consent or knowledge and sold to be developed. This would destroy forever the homes of numerous animals and your opportunity to enjoy some of the few remaining public wildlands.

We must act now to save the Scotchmans. Preserving this rugged landscape provides benefits now and in the future, for generations to come. In a time of rapid change we need to make sure this special place stays the same.

The very personal reasons why people are working to protect the Scotchman's help us all understand the value of this landscape. John Roskelly, called "the leading American mountaineer of his generation" by David Roberts, says it's as close to heaven as he's going to get; Bob Hays grew up in the area and now takes his grandchildren to the Scotchman Peaks so they can experience and understand wilderness. Their stories will inspire you. "Scotchman Peaks - A Shared Vision", is the story of the campaign's inception and vision as told by Phil Hough.

Montana Wilderness Association has joined The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness in their well organized and energetic campaign to protect the Scotchman Peaks. Among other things, the Friends organize a series of summer hikes to expose people to the beauty and wild of the area, and has also created a factsheet that provides quick access to important information about the area and the campaign.

If you have any questions, please contact the Montana Wilderness Association Campaign Director at: 307 First Ave E., #1
Kalispell, 59901
Phone: 883-5019
Fax: 755-6304
slundstrum@wildmontana.org