Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, who sat through the court hearing today in which fellow Land Board member Lawrence Wasden won a preliminary injunction halting the signing of new cabin-site leases, emerged from the hearing frustrated. Ysursa chaired a Land Board subcommittee that's been working for years, and heard hours of testimony, on the issue. "I think the key thing we have to figure out is what does that mean to our lease situation," Ysursa said. "The bottom line is to get the leases done and get revenue for the endowment beneficiaries."

He noted that if the current lease terms were frozen, the state would be collecting less - the new lease terms call for a 9 percent increase in 2011, and 54 percent over the next five years, and cabin-site lease rents have been frozen for three years at Payette Lake and two years at Priest Lake. Plus, he noted, "We gave people six months notice June 30, as required by law," about the new rental rates. "We need leases in place."