As the Hidden Gems wilderness campaign gathers speed, maybe it’s time to slow down and ask some questions that have yet to be posed.
For example, after extensive public review and numerous tax-funded studies starting in the 1990s, the Forest Service presented a plan in 2002 that proposes 80,000 acres in new wilderness designations. Questions: Why is the Forest Service plan being ignored, while the Hidden Gems proposal for 400,000 acres of wilderness gets all…


