PUBLIC LANDS: Don’t trust Fulcher

Like many Idahoans, fall is a special time of the year in our home. Any elk hunter is familiar with that unique sense of anxiety and hope, over what the season will bring. This year, I am more anxious about the possibility of losing access to the spaces which bring me and my family so much comfort, peace and maybe, if I do my part, a little meat in the freezer.  

The places our families camp, hunt, fish and forage are slated to be commodified and sold to the highest bidder. Russ Fulcher’s plan for our public lands amounts to a project aimed at stripping Idahoans of their access to vital economic, recreational, cultural and spiritual spaces that nourish our bodies and souls.

If it is any indication of how Fulcher’s plan might actually shake out, just look at the current administration’s latest announcement which aims to “give” a parcel of land in Yosemite National Park to private developers Kingsbarns Capital and Development, an outfit who “headed by former Black Rock executive Philip Mader” has “acquired, sponsored and closed over $10 billion of commercial properties throughout the United States.” Note the key word “commercial.” Under this framework, Teddy Roosevelt’s “solemn temple of the giant sequoias” is gutted to make room for what? A luxury resort only the few can afford? Make no mistake, this is Fulcher’s proposed future for our lands.

You wouldn’t trust your elk spots with a land developer. Don’t trust Fulcher with our public lands.

EDWARD PAYNE

Rathdrum