(Boise) - The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) continues its hold on leasing, selling, or exchanging endowment trust land in the McCall area, unless that land was already part of a previously-approved action. Accordingly, new business proposals about endowment lands are not scheduled for any decision or presentation at this meeting, including Trident Holdings, LLC’s land exchange pitch.

Instead, the July 21 Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners meeting will include an update and timeline on IDL’s new and comprehensive review of the management of the 28,000 acres of endowment land in McCall and how that land can best serve endowment land beneficiaries. IDL will complete this study before formally considering anything from outside parties.

“The ultimate goal of the study is to guide us as we remain loyal to our constitutional mandate to use endowment lands to generate the maximum long-term financial return to the beneficiaries,” said IDL Director Dustin Miller. “That could mean continuing our current programs in McCall, ranging from our effective forest management, timber sales, and replanting efforts, or adding to our leasing opportunities.”

The Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners Regular Meeting

July 21, 2020 in the State Capitol, Lincoln Auditorium (WW02)
Lower Level, West Wing, 700 W Jefferson St., Boise.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM (Mountain).
This meeting is open to the public.

All attendees must comply with current COVID-19 safety protocols for public gatherings.
Contingent upon safety protocols, the public may participate in person or via webinar.
Please contact Renée Jacobsen, rjacobsen@idl.idaho.gov, for webinar information.
Meeting will be live streamed at https://www.idahoptv.org/shows/idahoinsession/ww02/

Please remember that endowment lands are not the same as public lands, and they are not owned by the general public: In the Idaho Constitution, Article IX, Section 8 mandates that endowment lands will be managed “…in such manner as will secure the maximum long-term financial return to the institution to which [it is] granted.” Money from endowment lands comes through timber sales, as well as by leasing lands for grazing, farming, conservation, communication sites, recreation, residential/commercial real estate, minerals, and more. While these lands offer managed recreation opportunities, they are not taxpayer-funded public lands such as those managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

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Media contact: Robbie Johnson, PIO, 208-334-0236, pio@idl.idaho.gov