Simplot Outbids Marvel For Lease Hailey Environmentalist Pushed The Cost Up For State Grazing Land
The Simplot Livestock Co. held on to 800 acres of state grazing land in Owyhee County following a heated auction with environmentalist Jon Marvel that pushed the cost up to $3,500.
Wednesday’s activity came a day after the head of the Idaho Watersheds Project outbid Emmett rancher Brad Little for a 777-acre grazing plot at Rocky Canyon in the Boise Foothills for $1,500.
Thomas Basabe and Chuck Jones of industrialist J.R. Simplot’s agriculture group retained a 640-acre parcel at Sheep Creek after 15 bids leading up to their $2,000 offer. They then topped Marvel after nine bids, paying $1,500 for a 160-acre plot at Mary’s Creek. Both are located near the Grasmere highway in Owyhee County.
They accused the Hailey resident of “cherry-picking,” or bidding only for certain allotments with water within larger grazing areas. Jones said Marvel initially proposed competing for four parcels with 3,000 acres, but whittled it down to 800 acres by Wednesday.
“It’s pretty valueless to a livestock man if he can’t get to water,” Basabe said.
The cattlemen also rejected Marvel’s contention that ranchers demand sweetheart deals and are reluctant to pay more money to the state’s school endowment fund.
“He’s making a sales pitch for helping the children of Idaho. I don’t think he can match what Mr. Simplot has contributed for education,” Basabe said. “Some architect from Hailey with an agenda doesn’t buy anything for Idaho. In fact, he’s wasting the state funds by making everybody go through this exercise than will ever be returned to the endowment.”
“What difference does it make what our motives are if they won the auction?” Marvel replied. “If water sources are so valuable to ranchers, the Department of Lands should welcome competition for them.”
The Idaho Watersheds Project has a budget for competing in conflict grazing auctions and plans to contend for larger plots this fall, including 6,000 acres on the South Fork of Lime Creek southwest of Ketchum, Marvel said in explaining why he did not bid higher for the Owyhee leases.
The Idaho Watersheds Project has been warring for state allotments since the early 1990s, seeking to demonstrate removing cattle will restore damaged land, especially streamside areas.
Earlier this month, Marvel outbid the daughter of electronics giant William Hewlett of Hewlett-Packard for 2,560 acres between Mackay and Challis.