Sagebrush Rebellion: Act 4, Scene 5

About the only thing more cyclical on the public scene than the James Bond film franchise is the Idaho land grab phenomenon. Every 17 years or so, a group of Idaho politicians jump up and down about the injustice of having so much of their state owned and managed by the federal government. … Seventeen years ago, the angst was over Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, President Clinton’s alleged “War on the West,” and a federal attempt to update the Mining Act of 1872. In each case, the locals mounted a campaign for state ownership under the banner of something like the Sagebrush Rebellion. Then ordinary citizens would discover how state ownership would lead to more lands falling into private hands, choking off public access. And the issue would go away. Well, here we go again/ Marty Trillhaase , Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Are you ready for another Sagebrush Rebellion?