Sportsmen rally against sale or transfer of public lands
About 150 sportsmen, many in hunter-orange baseball caps and some in camouflage, are rallying on the Capitol steps today against any sale or transfer of public lands. “We don’t want to risk losing the places where we fill our freezers as well as our hearts,” former state Rep. Elmer Martinez of Pocatello told the crowd. “These lands are part of our American identity, and they are not nor should be for sale.” The rally was organized by an array of groups including the Idaho Wildlife Federation, the Idaho Sportsmens Caucus, Trout Unlimited and many others. Participants held signs with hand-written slogans including, “Don’t let Idaho Legislature Sell Us Out, Keep Public Lands Public,” and “Don’t fence me out!” Stickers were being distributed with an outline of the state of Idaho and the slogan, “Keep your hands off our public lands!”