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Senators work on central Idaho wilderness plan

Videographer Jay Krajic filming in the White Clouds mountains for Idaho Public TV's
Videographer Jay Krajic filming in the White Clouds mountains for Idaho Public TV's "Outdoor Idaho" program. (Rick Gerrard / Idaho Public Television)

WILDERNESS — Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Risch derailed a 2010 wilderness bill but says he’s working now with U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson on a scaled-down version as others attempt to persuade President Barack Obama to designate a central Idaho area a national monument.

Risch, a Republican, tells the Idaho Statesman that he’s looking forward to carrying a bill that he says is a collaborative product.

The smaller version of Simpson’s Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act would create three wilderness areas totaling about 295,000 acres, about 37,000 acres less than the earlier version. Not everyone is pleased with the latest iteration.

“This is a disappointing departure from the legislation we supported,” said Craig Gehrke, Idaho director for The Wilderness Society. “We don’t support the removal of thousands of acres of proposed wilderness and are discouraged to see this as a new starting point for congressional consideration.”

Part of the reason for the push on the wilderness bill is the potential designation of a national monument. Some groups are asking Obama to use his executive power under the Antiquities Act to create a 592,000-acre national monument that includes the rugged Boulder and White Cloud mountains.

“I spoke to Interior Secretary (Sally) Jewell and U.S. Forest Service Chief (Tom) Tidwell this week and received assurances from both that if (CIEDRA) were enacted, there would be no need or desire for a national monument by the administration,” Simpson said.

Simpson has said that Obama administration officials have told him that no national monument will be designated for six months, giving Simpson time to get the wilderness bill through Congress. It’s not clear when the bill might be introduced.

Custer County Commission Chairman Wayne Butts opposed the 2010 version. He prefers the more recent idea for wilderness designation rather than a national monument, though.

“I would have to call that the lesser of two evils,” Butts said.

Attached is a letter to President Obama signed by 44 staffers who worked for Idaho Sen. Frank Church during his 24 years in Congress as they make their case for a Boulder-White Clouds National Monument in central Idaho.  Note that the staffers include former Idaho Congressman Larry LaRocco.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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