Idaho Department of Lands — Federal Lands Task Force

About the Federal Lands Task Force

Task Force Timeline

• 1996-1998 — Federal Lands Task Force created to examine ways to forge a closer cooperative relationship between the State of Idaho and the United States Forest Service

• 1999-2000 — Federal Lands Task Force Working Group appointed to identify pilot projects

• 2002-2005 — Contractor Perkins Coie LLP Selected to Promote FLTF Recommendation

• November 12, 2002 — Federal Lands Task Force Update as presented to the Land Board

Executive Summary

The excerpt below can be found in (REPORT 1) "New Approaches for Managing Federally Administered Lands - A Report to the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners by the Federal Lands Task Force" (July 1998).

1996

In 1996 the 53rd Legislature of the State of Idaho passed Senate Bill No. 1354, Idaho Code Section 58-104 (10), authorizing the State Board of Land Commissioners "To enter into a joint exercise of powers agreement with the United States Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture, pursuant to Section 67-2328, Idaho Code." In response to this action, the State Board of Land Commissioners appointed a 19-member task force and charged them with examining alternative methods of federal land management in the state.

Federal Lands Task Force Members

• Co-Chairs: Senator Judi Danielson and Representative Charles D. Cuddy
• Scott Bedke, Oakley ID
• Phil Church, Lewiston ID
• Joe Hinson, Intermountain Forest Industry Association, Coeur d'Alene ID
• Clayton Krall, PEGASUS Gold Corporation, Burley ID
• Mike Medberry, Idaho Conservation League, Boise ID
• Hebert Stokes, Lemhi County Commissioner, District 2, Salmon ID
• Bill Bachman, Croman Corporation, Boise, ID
• Clark Collins, Blue Ribbon Public Lands, Pocatello ID
• John Freemuth, Boise State University, Boise ID
• Margaret Soulen, Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, Weiser ID
• Jack Peterson, Eagle ID
• Doug WestFall, Salmon ID
• Richard Meiers, Idaho Fish and Game Commission, Eagle ID
• Ernie Lombard, Idaho Parks and Recreation Board, Boise ID
• Jay O'Laughlin, University of Idaho, Moscow ID
• Stan Hamilton, Ex-Officio/Executive Secretary, Director, Idaho Department of Lands, Boise ID

In order to better understand the nature and scope of the problems surrounding federal land management in Idaho, the Task Force scheduled meetings throughout the state and heard testimony from a wide variety of resource managers, land use interests and other individuals with expertise in natural resource management. The Task Force considered this testimony in detail and discussed the implications of the current state of federal land management on the economic and social fabric of Idaho.

Based on the testimony of many witnesses, and analysis of the problem and possible solutions, the Task Force identified and examined three action alternatives: The Trust Alternative, The Collaborative Alternative and The Cooperative Alternative. The Task Force offered the following findings and recommendation for Land Board consideration:

FINDING 1: The current processes of federal land management have resulted in uncertain decision making, destabilization of resource dependent communities and deterioration in environmental quality on federal lands. In short, the system is broken.

FINDING 2: Significant changes to these processes are necessary. The changes proposed in the Upper Columbia River Basin Draft Environmental Impact Statement are not adequate.

RECOMMENDATION: The State Board of Land Commissioners should pursue a pilot project(s) testing one or more of the action alternatives for federal land management.

1998

The Task Force presented their report [REPORT 1] to the Land Board in July 1998. The report, "New Approaches for Managing Federally Administered Lands, A Report to the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners by the Federal Lands Task Force, July 1998," recommended development of pilot projects to test three new approaches to federal land management:

• the collaborative model
• the cooperative model
• the trust land management model

REPORT 1 • New Approaches for Managing Federally Administered Lands - A Report to the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners by the Federal Lands Task Force [July 1998] ( 23.18 MB PDF)

1999

Excerpts below can be found in REPORT 2 (see below for a PDF of this report). "Breaking the Gridlock, Federal Land Pilot Projects in Idaho, A Report to the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners by the Federal Lands Task Force Working Group, December 2000."

In March 1999 the Idaho Legislature passed a concurrent resolution: "We endorse the report submitted by the Federal Lands Task Force to the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners, support further action by the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners on the proposals contained in the report and urge the Congress of the United States to pass legislation implementing the recommendations contained in the report.

The Land Board appointed a Coordinator to undertake further actions, and in September 1999 appointed an eight-member Working Group to identify pilot project proposals on Idaho's federal lands.

Federal Lands Task Force Working Group

• Bill Myers, Chairman, Boise ID
• Susan Borowicz, Elk City ID
• Jeff Cilek, Boise ID
• John Foard, Garden Valley ID
• Robert A. Maynard, Boise ID
• Bill Mulligan, Kamiah ID
• Gerald Schroder, Parma ID
• David Whaley, Boise ID

Ex-Officio Working Group Members:
• Senator Judi Danielson, Council ID
• Representative Charles Cuddy, Orofino ID
• Stanley F. Hamilton, Director, Idaho Department of Lands, Boise ID
• John McGee, Coordinator for the Working Group, Boise ID

The Working Group recommended five pilot projects for consideration. Consistent with the Task Force recommendations, none of the projects involve state management, state control or state ownership of federal land.

In total, the five proposed pilot projects encompass 10.8 million acres of federal land, of which 10.1 million acres are National Forest System lands. Currently 20,476 acres (or 0.2%) of these national forestlands are subject to active forest ecosystem management each year.

The five proposed pilot projects are listed below:

Central Idaho Ecosystem Trust
This project includes all of the Boise National Forest and parts of the Payette, Sawtooth and Salmon-Challis Forests. Using a "trust law" management framework, the goal of this project is to restore vegetation to desired ecological conditions while meeting social needs.
Clearwater Basin Stewardship Collaboration
This project covers parts of the Clearwater and Nez Perce Forests and has as its goal using a "collaborative group" of stakeholders to accomplish the restoration of elk habitat and other indicator species consistent with social objectives and historical conditions.
Priest Lake Basin Cooperative
This project includes all of the Priest Lake District of the Panhandle National Forest and has as its goal, under a Memorandum of Agreement involving the Forest Service and the Idaho Departments of Lands and Parks and Recreation, to restore and enhance ecological conditions and to improve resource management for wildlife, recreation and balanced economic uses.
St. Joe Ecosystem Stewardship Project
This project involves the St. Joe District of the Panhandle National Forest and proposes to use the "stewardship" contract approach to restore and enhance ecological conditions. The projects would be similar to those authorized by Congress in 1999.
Twin Falls/Cassia Resource Enhancement Trust
Forest Service lands in the Sawtooth National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in the Burley and Twin Falls management areas would be involved in a "trust management" approach aimed at sustainable economic activity and enhanced ecological conditions.

REPORT 2 • The Final Report - Breaking the Gridlock, Federal Land Pilot Projects in Idaho, A Report to the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners by the Federal Lands Task Force Working Group [December 2000] is provided below in smaller file sizes for ease of viewing.

• Overview of Report (12KB)
• Questions and Answers about the Federal Lands Task Force Working Group (10KB)
• Final Report pages 1 - 48: The Federal Lands Task Force Working Group Report, "Breaking the Gridlock: Federal Land Pilot Projects in Idaho" (491KB)
• Appendices A-E (21KB)
• Appendix F Central Idaho (1,125KB)
• Appendix G Clearwater (651KB)
• Appendix H Priest Lake (519KB)
• Appendix I St. Joe (447KB)
• Appendix J Twin Falls/Cassia (166KB)