Idaho ‘Land Grab’ Proposal In Limbo

Despite earlier optimism from the Idaho congressional delegation, a bill the lawmakers said would prevent “land grabs” under the Antiquities Act of 1906 wasn’t attached to the omnibus appropriations bill that Congress passed Monday.

Sens. Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne and Reps. Helen Chenoweth and Mike Crapo, all Republicans, introduced the Idaho Land Protection Act after President Clinton recently designated 1.7 million acres of Utah wilderness a national monument.

The bill would have required congressional and public input before Idaho land could be named a national monument. At a Sept. 18 news conference, Craig said he hoped to get the measure attached to an appropriations bill.

But that didn’t happen, congressional aides said Monday. Although the paper version of the omnibus appropriations bill runs a foot deep, the Idaho proposal was not attached.

One possible explanation: Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, introduced a similar bill last week with expanded jurisdiction.

Committee sources told The Spokesman-Review that no action has been taken on Murkowski’s bill, which Kempthorne and Craig are co-sponsoring.

Although the Idaho bill appears stalled as Congress heads for recess, Crapo spokeswoman Susan Wheeler said it has not been pulled from consideration.