A legislative committee will make its recommendation in 2015 on a likely public lands transfer.
On Wednesday morning, lawmakers received an earful — and a sharply divided one particular at that.
They heard from some Idahoans who want to see the state presume management of public lands. They labeled federal lands policies a dismal failure, and said state management would offer more income for schools and other public companies.
They also heard from Idahoans who staunchly oppose a transfer. They say the state will not be ready to resist the temptation to promote off newly acquired lands to personal bidders, compromising entry for recreation.
The decision will fall, at some point, to the Legislature. A legislative “interim committee” is learning the public lands transfer situation its suggestions are due in time for the 2015 session.
On Wednesday, the committee started its fourth meeting with a public hearing. About 100 men and women attended the morning session, and more than two dozen men and women testified. A 2nd public comment session is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
The morning testimony encapsulated the public divide over the public lands situation — and the groups and camps lining up on each sides.
Numerous supporters identified themselves as members of tea celebration groups. For them, a transfer is partly a matter of philosophy they say it would put Idaho on equal footing with Eastern states that had been given control in excess of their lands on statehood. They also stated it would wean the state away from unreliable federal funding. “I don’t truly feel blessed to be a sucker,” explained Chad Inman of the Gem State Tea Party.
A lot of opponents aligned themselves with sportsmen’s groups, and explained unfettered accessibility to public lands is a sacred component of the state’s heritage. “There’s nothing at all that restricts access like a ‘No Trespassing’ signal,” stated Jack Trueblood, the son of noted Idaho outdoor writer Ted Trueblood.
The potential stake for public education — and the public school endowment — could hinge on the sale of public lands. Under a resolution passed by the 2013 Legislature, five percent of the proceeds from lands sale would go into the public colleges endowment. The rest would go toward federal debt reduction.
A number of supporters of a lands transfer — including Idaho County Commissioner Jim Chmelik, one of the proposal’s most vocal advocates — stopped short of advocating land income.
Idahoans speak out on lands transfer
