What lands are we seeking wilderness designation for in central Idaho?
The Boulder and White Cloud Mountain Ranges combine to form one of the most magnificent proposed wilderness areas in the United States. Embracing the headwaters of the East Fork of the Salmon River, major tributaries of the Main Fork of the Salmon River plus the highest reaches of the Big Wood River and the Lost River, this mountainous wild land includes spectacular peaks, alpine lakes, critical habitat for mountain goats, big horn sheep, large herd of elk, moose, wolves, mountain lions and bears. It also provides vital winter range for elk and big horn sheep, especially along the flanks of Jerry Peak/Herd Peak ridgeline complex. This wild land mosaic is a very popular recreation area for hikers, horseback riders, hunters, fishermen and women, as well as for day outings for families. The Idaho Conservation League and The Wilderness Society have supported long-overdue wilderness designation for this wonderful region since the late 1960s.

This unique region received special recognition as a congressionally designated Wilderness Study Area in 1972, as part of the enactment of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. In 1987, the Forest Service recommended most of the WSA for designation as wilderness by Congress.

Are these lands threatened?
Yes, particularly from increasing motorcycles and snowmobiles. In addition, there is a growing number of mountain bikers. The threat and damage from this use has been made much worse by the Forest Service authorizing motorized and mechanized use within the WSA on many of the most popular hiking and horseback trails plus allowing snowmobiles into vast tracts of untracked wildlands in the winter months. Due to Forest Service mismanagement, the Boulder-White Clouds are coming dangerously close to losing their wilderness character.

How has congress historically dealt with wilderness in Idaho?
There are six Wilderness Areas totaling slightly over four million acres in Idaho. Some of the finest and wildest Wilderness Areas in America are located in Idaho. Sadly, Idaho's last successful Wilderness Act was enacted 24 years ago with the designation of the River of No Return. There were unsuccessful attempts to protect the Boulder-White Clouds, as part of a statewide bill in both 1984 and 1988. The 1988 proposal for the Boulder-White Clouds, authored by Gov. Cecil Andrus and Senator James McClure, was for roughly 150,000 acres and it included two major motorized non-wilderness trails running east and west across the mountain masses.

How is Congress currently dealing with wilderness in Idaho?
Senator Mike Crapo has voiced his support for a homegrown collaborative effort, which could result in the designation of major wilderness areas in Southwestern Idaho's Owyhee Canyonlands. At the same time, Congressman Mike Simpson is leading an effort to hammer out a bill that would grant significant and meaningful wilderness protections for major parts of the Boulder-White Clouds, while also providing economic boosts for Custer County and other parts of central Idaho.

Although no bill has yet been introduced, it is anticipated that Congressman Simpson is looking carefully at designating wilderness protections for wildlands that could be more than twice as large as the 1988 Idaho Wilderness bill. It is also likely to contain only one motorized non-wilderness trail running east-west across the main mountain mass (half as many as the 1988 bill contained), and will close other routes currently open to motorized use.

What process is being used to develop this legislation?
The Idaho Conservation League and The Wilderness Society have been actively engaged in promoting wilderness protection for this region for the last three years in hopes of making such an effort a political reality. Over the past year or more, Congressman Simpson and his staff have met with a variety of groups with keen interest in the area. These meetings have included ranchers, motorized recreational users, outfitters, county commissioners, community leaders, and conservation group leaders. It is expected that Congressman Simpson will soon lead an effort to enact legislation for this region of Idaho.

Why is there a need to help central Idaho's economic situation?
Custer County has a population of 4000 people in an area larger than 3 states. More than 93 percent of the county’s 3.4 million acres is public land. With an unemployment rate of almost 8.5 percent and a very limited tax base, this far-flung county is having difficult meeting basic support service needs. The current process could provide a real opportunity to help the county secure a brighter economic future and protect some of Idaho's most cherished wild places.

What would a central Idaho bill look like?
Because no bill has been written yet, it is impossible to know for certain. However, Congressman Simpson has indicated that he wants the bill to accomplish the following: 1) help build a better economic future for Custer County by way of direct appropriations for a higher education center, airport improvements, improvements for communications and other facilities; 2) the sale of a small amount of public land (less than 1000 acres) for affordable housing (none of the public land would come from a roadless area or have any endangered species conflicts); 3) possibly establish a voluntary grazing allotment buy-out program for permits that would be located within the newly-designated wilderness areas; and 4) possibly provide for other sustainable economic programs.

Would The Wilderness Society support a central Idaho bill?
We will have to see what the bill includes as we do not take positions on bills that have not been written. We do know that The Wilderness Society would only support a bill that grants significant and meaningful lasting protections for key areas.

Why is The Wilderness Society engaged in this process?
We have deliberately chosen to be actively engaged in this legislative process because our mission is to fight for wilderness designations. At the same time, we will fight against harmful provisions. In fact, participating in the process provides us the best opportunity to achieve the best results possible while stopping or mitigating bad provisions.

If a wilderness designation section is included in a larger legislative package for central Idaho, would The Wilderness Society be aiding the passage of a bill that could have harmful provisions?
Congressman Mike Simpson has made it clear that he will be working on wilderness as part of a larger legislative package. Since only Congress can designate wilderness, if we want to protect wild places via enactment by Congress and the President, then we must actively engage in the congressional process. If we end up supporting the wilderness section of a larger legislative bill, that does not mean that we endorse or support the other sections of the legislation. That determination will be made once there is a full bill to analyze.

How might this potential legislation handle water rights?
Due to a variety of factors, including recent court rulings, it is clear that the geography, topography and hydrology of the Boulder-White Clouds all point to conclusion that "headwaters language" will provide complete protection for the wild waters within newly designated wilderness lands.

Would this central Idaho bill include the "release" of existing Wilderness Study Areas?
It is likely that a relatively small amount of existing Wilderness Study Area lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management that do not get designated as Wilderness will be "released" via standard BLM release language to be managed by the agency in accordance with standard management practices.

The Forest Service manages the congressionally established Wilderness Study Area and the national forest lands within that Wilderness Study Area that were subsequently recommended for Wilderness designation. It is anticipated that all the national forest lands not designated as Wilderness by the legislation will be granted special status by Congress because of their existing inclusion within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and/or due to being directly adjacent to the Sawtooth Recreation Area’s sensitive and nationally recognized landscape.

Is now the best time to work for wilderness in central Idaho?
The wondrous wild places within the Boulder-White Clouds are rapidly being damaged and degraded by motorized and mechanized use. Time is not our friend. The longer we wait, the more damage we will see and the fewer wild places we will have. An opportunity is now at hand to stop the damage because Congressman Simpson has made it clear that he wants to enact legislation for Central Idaho during this session of Congress. Too much is at stake to miss this opportunity.

For More Information

• Bart Koehler, Director of the The Wilderness Society’s Wilderness Support Center, 970-247-8788