Opinion: Stop the land grab, Idaho

For two years, the Idaho Legislature's Federal Lands Interim Committee has considered how, and whether, Idaho should attempt to wrest control of up to 34 million acres owned by all Americans and now administered by the federal government.

We appreciate the attention that the committee has given to this issue; however 40-plus hours of meetings and public testimony have failed to highlight significant new information. We also welcome that some members of the committee have toned down their rhetoric demanding an immediate transfer of title.

Still, last week, the Interim Committee wrapped up their report and recommended continuing to waste tax dollars (more than $750,000 proposed for 2015 alone!) on this effort. We advise the Legislature to heed the words of the majority of Idahoans who testified against this pointless crusade.

Let's review what we've learned:

• This idea is being foisted upon the people of Idaho by out-of-state ideologues pushing their own agenda.

• Idaho's Statehood Act and Constitution specifically forbid "any further or other grants of land for any purpose" from the federal government.

• The new costs of managing fires, recreation and a network of more than 60,000 miles of road would bankrupt the state and inevitably lead to the sale of Idaho's public lands.

• The attorney general and governor agreed that demanding the federal government turn over millions of acres is misguided and unrealistic.

• Cooperative efforts across Idaho are creating jobs, attracting investments and building consensus among diverse stakeholders, yet the land grab threatens to undermine these productive efforts.

• Idaho hunters, anglers and outdoors enthusiasts—and the businesses that support them—stand to be the biggest losers in this reckless gamble.

There are some remaining questions.

How did all of the wasted time and resources help the families and communities of rural Idaho?

How did this exercise in futility help the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other public land managers address their very real challenges?

How does going deeper into this rabbit hole help safeguard Idaho's clean water, protect communities from wildfire, and ensure access to ensure that future generations can enjoy Idaho's outdoor traditions?

Here's the answer: This public land grab amounts to a big fat zero for the people of Idaho.

The good news is that alternatives do exist. In collaborative efforts from the Panhandle to the Owyhees to Henry's Fork, Idahoans are coming together to seek real-world solutions. Ranchers, loggers, water users, counties, land managers, conservationists, hunters, Native American tribes, motorized recreationists, hikers, anglers and others are rolling up their sleeves and doing the hard work of finding collaborative compromises to address disputes.

For example, the Clearwater Basin Collaborative in north-central Idaho has boosted National Forest harvest levels by 50 percent, brought in more than $16 million in direct investments, restored more than 3,000 miles of trail, reduced fire risk across 60,000 acres, and created or sustained more than 80 jobs each year.

These efforts require patience and won't solve every debate. However, if we're actually interested in restoring lands, providing jobs and improving public land management, they can pay off. Unfortunately, extending this land-grab effort only undermines this progress.

If members of the Idaho Legislature are merely interested in a quick and easy sound bite to trash the federal government, by all means, continue this effort.

If, on the other hand, legislators are interested in actually finding real solutions to real problems that affect real Idahoans, please shift gears.

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Jonathan Oppenheimer is Senior Conservation Associate of the Idaho Conservation League.