Different message, same public lands
Several thousand people gathered at the State Capitol for a public lands rally Saturday, March 4, 2017, in Boise, Idaho. The Idaho Statesman reports that polls show a majority of Idahoans liked the idea of state takeover of federal land until they learn that doing so could cost billions of dollars annually. (Katherine Jones/Idaho Statesman via AP)
Over 2,000 people took to the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise last weekend to protest the turning over of public lands from the Federal Government to the State Government.
Public outcry from Idahoans over the concept of State-managed forest lands has become a hot topic for many in the state, but here in North Idaho the pleas from one group concerning the management of local forests take a different tune.
The Not Without a Fight (NWAF) Coalition here in Shoshone County has been working tirelessly over the last few years to get their charter forest concept off of the ground, but have only had limited results.
Idaho is 62 percent public lands, including lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service.
The signs at the rally ran the gamut from political – “My Labrador is smarter than Idaho’s Labrador” -- to sentimental – “Saving public lands for my grandchildren.”
The argument coming out of Boise from the protesters is one of mismanaged lands.
That is about where the similarities between them and NWAF end.
The groups that are protesting are in favor of unfettered access to land that is currently controlled and managed by the Federal Government.
That land is now in the process of being turned over to the State.
The protesters worry that the State does not have their interests at heart and will simply begin selling off the land to put money in their own pockets.
Following Saturday’s protest, organizers thought the event was success and that the efforts there did not go unnoticed.
“The day was a roaring success,” Legislative Associate for Conservation Voters for Idaho (a member of Idahoans for Public Lands), Rialin Flores said. “We made a strong statement that Idahoans are for public lands, and they won’t stand for any legislative attempts that support the state seizure of our treasured places.” Here in Shoshone County, which contains 1,205,505 acres of National Forest (consisting of parts of St. Joe PNF, Coeur d’Alene PNF, and the Clearwater PNF), the NWAF is trying to secure a small section of that land and see if they can generate revenue from the surrounding abundant resources.
NWAF member (and resident super researcher) Ron Roizen was quick to point out the difference between the group he works for and the people protesting in Boise.
“We’re not in the business of ‘attacking’ public lands,” Roizen said. “And, moreover, the main charter forest plan we’ve been advancing would assign management of a small, experimental segment of National Forest area or areas in Shoshone County to the Idaho Department of Lands for management, with a locally comprised advisory committee here in our county.”
The concerns over access to the lands have also been acknowledged by the NWAF, but they seem to be looking at more of a big picture type scenario where access for recreation is important, but ensuring there is a place for people to recreate is even more vital.
“I’m all for protecting nature and having our public forest lands open to recreation, hunting, fishing, ATVs, and all the rest,” Roizen stated, “but these folks don’t seem to recognize the forest health, wildfire, and economic threats lodged in the continuation of the Forest Service’s current practices. That’s where the NWAF committee’s focus has lain, although committee members certainly care about nature protection and public access too.”