Grizzlies, caribou, bull trout to get more protection by state

BOISE – Conservation groups voluntarily dropped a lawsuit challenging the Idaho Department of Lands’ protection of endangered wildlife after the agency worked out a compromise.

The agency now says it’s found a way to boost protection of bull trout, grizzly and caribou habitat and increase logging to meet funding needs for Idaho schools.

The Idaho Conservation League, one of the groups that dropped its lawsuit, said they aren’t convinced the Department of Lands’ actions bring it into full compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

But they hope dropping the lawsuit shows good faith for further talks.

“While we have not reached consensus on all the important issues, we are continuing talks with the state on how to best protect Idaho’s clean water and ensure a steady financial flow to our schools,” said J.R. Robison, of the Idaho Conservation League.

The Department of Lands manages 2.5 million acres, including 780,000 acres of commercial timberland. Revenues from timber sales go directly to public schools, colleges, hospitals and charitable institutions.

Earlier this year, the Idaho Legislature approved the department’s accelerated harvest, increasing the annual cut from 183 million board feet to 213 million board feet by 2007. It takes about 15,000 board feet to build a house.

In its compromise, the agency has expanded rules to protect endangered fish in the Priest Lake Basin, agreed to enforce road closures to protect wildlife habitat and tightened rules on snowmobile trail grooming in caribou habitat.

Completing these projects will help meet the requirements federal fisheries officials say are necessary under the Endangered Species Act.

“We have always been eager to learn more effective ways of doing our job,” said Winston Wiggins, the director of the lands department. “I am not anticipating any drop in timber harvesting.”

Meanwhile, state Sen. Skip Brandt, R-Kooskia, is giving credit for the conservation groups’ decision to drop the lawsuits to a coalition he heads, which threatened to intervene on behalf of Idaho schoolchildren and force conservation groups to back down.