CDA Press: Risch Wilderness Plan Too Big to Swallow

“You can’t help but admire Gov. Jim Risch for bulldozing bureaucratic barriers and accomplishing everything he possibly can in his eight months as the state’s chief executive. But in tackling the gigantic issue of what to do with Idaho’s 9.3 million acres of forest land, our good governor is biting off more than we can chew. Gov. Risch and some of his experts joined us in a recent editorial board meeting to go over Idaho’s petition for state-specific rulemaking for inventoried roadless areas. After studying executive summaries, topographical maps, Clinton’s rule of 2001, Bush’s rule of 2005, the Ninth Circuit Court’s reversal of Bush’s rule, and diagrams and descriptions of how Idaho’s forests might be designated, we arrived at one clear conclusion: This topic is too big to swallow in one sitting, maybe many.” For the rest of the Coeur d’Alene Press editorial, click here .

Question: Do you think Gov. Risch is biting off too much?