Dear FS: Please accept my comments on the proposed Forest Plan Revision. I have explored much of the Clearwater-Nez Perce Forests and formally worked on the Nez Perce NF so know the landscape well. I fully support the Friend of the Clearwater citizen proposal for the forest. WILDERNESS AND POTENTIAL WILDERNESS In particular, I strongly support wilderness recommendation for Weitas Creek, Pot Mountain, Fish and Hunrey Creek and upper North Fork of the Clearwater, Cove Mallard, Rapid River, Meadow Creek, and FOC additions to the Gospel Hump Wilderness. I have visited many of these areas, and the Weitas Creek area in particular is a large and spectacular roadless area that deserves wilderness designation as does the creek deserve Wild and Scenic recommendation. Areas adjacent to existing wilderness like Cove Mallard and Rapid River should definitely be given wilderness recommendation as they expand the ecological viability of existing wilderness. But all of the above areas should be recommended and managed as potential wilderness. MOUNTAIN BIKES In particular mountain bikes and other mechanical access should be banned from all potential wilderness. In addition, mountain bikes should be treated like all other access. All trails should be closed unless specifically open for their use, and only after evaluating the ecological and social impacts. Because mountain bikes allow greater access and thus more potential for disturbing wildlife and sensitive species. They can also transport weed seeds further. There are social impacts as well such as the fear fast traveling bikes can impose on hikers and horse users. A mountain bike careening down a trail can potentially cause fear in others. OLD GROWTH FOREST The proposed Forest Plan should protect all existing old growth forests. These are the most biologically important landscapes with greater biodiversity than other forest types. Protect them all! WATERSHEDS SOIL, FISH AND WILDLIFE The Forest Plan must have measurable 'STANDARDS" not just guidelines. Things like 1 mile of road per square mile in elk winter range or whatever. Guidelines are useless. There should be upper limits on things like the amount of sedimentation in streams, specific widths of riparian buffers, Steep slopes should be off limits to logging and other mechanical disturbance. Standards should be enforceable and non-discretionary. The Species of Conservation Concern is too limited. In addition to the species the FS recognizes the agency should include bog lemming, western toad, ringneck snake, wolverine, loon, Harlequin duck, black-backed woodpecker, bald eagle, and peregrine falcon. The grizzly should also get listed as the animal is already expanding its range on to the forest, and the agency should be managing with grizzly bears in mind. NATURAL PROCESSES Finally natural processes should be given prime consideration. Natural processes like beetles, disease, wildfire, floods, predation, and so on should always be the primary management option, particularly on lands not currently in timber production. These natural processes are better at managing forests than agency personnel. To give one example, some lodgepole pine have more resin ducts than others. Trees with more resin ducts are better able to resist beetle attack. Obviously over time, trees with more resin ducts will dominate the forest, while foresters would not be able to recognize which trees have more resin ducts. Thus logging the forest will degrade the forest ecosystem. That is only one example of how natural processes "improve" the forest ecosystem. George Wuerthner Box 8359 Bend, OR 97708