Updates

• Pilot Projects for Collaborative Management of Federal Land in Rural Idaho - Article written by Robert A. Maynard as published in the Idaho Rural Partnership, June 2004, Newsletter
• April 6, 2004 - Press Release - Twin Falls/Cassia Area Federal Lands Pilot Project Recommendations
• March 31, 2004 - Twin Falls/Cassia Area Federal Lands Pilot Project Recommendation Report
• Twin Falls/Cassia Area Federal Lands Pilot Project Discussion - Draft Legislation
• Press Release - U.S. Senate Hearing Held on Clearwater Basin Pilot Project Bill, S.433
• Press Release - Public Discussion and Comment Meeting
• Twin Falls/Cassia Area Federal Lands Pilot Project: An Updated Draft Proposal
• Twin Falls/Cassia Pilot Project-Proposed Project Area (Map)

Meeting Minutes

• Federal Lands Task Force Working Group Special Meeting - October 28, 2003

Clearwater Basin Pilot Project Legislation Introduced in the 108th Congress

• Clearwater Basin Pilot Project Legislation - Senate Bill 433, as introduced by Senator Craig as a companion to H.R. 835 in February 2003
• Clearwater Basin Project Act House Bill 835 as reintroduced February 13, 2003 by Representative Otter, joined by Representative Simpson
• Representative Otter's remarks accompanying the reintroduction - February 13, 2003

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

Federal Lands Task Force Background

In 1996 the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) was mandated by the Idaho Legislature (Idaho Code Section 58-104(10) [1996]) to examine ways to forge a closer cooperative relationship between the State and the United States Forest Service. That same year, the Land Board appointed the Idaho Federal Lands Task Force to examine issues of federal land management in Idaho and to analyze alternative methods of federal land management.

Members of the 1996 Federal Lands Task Force included:

• 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

The Task Force presented their report 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," 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

• New Approaches for Managing Federally Administered Lands - July 1998 - Report to the State Board of Land Commissioners by the Federal Lands Task Force (157.1KB - PDF)

In October 1999, the Land Board appointed an eight-member Working Group to identify pilot projects on Idaho's federal lands.

Members of the Federal Lands Task Force Working Group included:

• 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Press Releases

• February 2002 - Contractor Selected to Promote Federal Lands Task Force Recommendations
• December 2000 - Working Group Recommends Innovative Approaches to Break Gridlock on Federal Lands in Idaho

Copies of the "History and Analysis of Federally Administered Lands in Idaho," June 1998 and "Breaking the Gridlock: Federal Land Pilot Projects in Idaho," December 2000, are available by contacting Susan Terry, Office of the Director, Idaho Department of Lands, Post Office Box 83720, Boise ID 83720-0050, e-mail sterry@idl.state.id.us, fax (208) 334-2339 or phone (208) 334-0242.

The Federal Lands Task Force Working Group Report, "Breaking the Gridlock:  Federal Land Pilot Projects in Idaho"   is available for downloading in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.  Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Reports available online:

• 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)

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