Idaho County commissioners tell state officials they are seeking changes to public land management

Idaho County commissioners are asking the state’s governor and other elected officials to change public land classifications within their county, Commissioner Skip Brandt told state legislators Thursday.

Brandt detailed his proposal during the Idaho Legislature’s Committee on Federalism’s meeting Thursday, which took place at a Super 8 motel in Grangeville and was livestreamed online. 

During the meeting, Brandt told legislators serving on the committee that about 4.5 million acres of land in Idaho County is public land of some sort. That includes about 2.3 million acres of wilderness land and another 1.7 million acres of roadless areas classified under the Idaho Roadless Rule. 

The U.S. Forest Service describes Idaho’s Roadless Areas as “the core of the last intact forest ecosystem in the lower 48 states – where all of the native plants, fish and wildlife – from the smallest plant to the largest predator – can still be found.”

But Brandt says the problem with wilderness and Idaho Roadless Areas is restrictions on the land prevent logging, building roads and using motorized vehicles in those areas. Brandt also said restrictions make wildfire response more difficult and create a barrier to recreational access.

“And if you can’t afford to hire an outfitter to get you back there, or if you aren’t in shape enough to walk for five days with a big pack, you just don’t do it,” Brandt told the Committee on Federalism. “And so my contention is that the wilderness is land of no use as it stands. It’s just sitting there ready to cook.”

Idaho County commissioner says he will petition Forest Service chief to change management rules of county’s public lands

Brandt told the Committee on Federalism he plans to petition Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Tom Schultz to change the management theme of Idaho Roadless Areas within Idaho County to the general forest, rangeland and grassland designation, which is the least restrictive management classification available. 

Currently, Brandt said the vast majority of Idaho Roadless Areas within Idaho County are under more restrictive management classifications. 

Schultz, who formerly served as the director of the Idaho Department of Lands and a vice president with the Idaho Forest Group logging company, has strong ties in Idaho.

Changing to the least restrictive classification could allow for timber harvest and road construction on those lands. 

Brandt outlined part of his plans in a Sept. 29 letter he sent to Little and U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho.

In the letter, which the Idaho Capital Sun obtained a copy of, Brandt and the other two Idaho County commissioners said they were notifying Little and Risch that Idaho County intends to request the modification of Idaho Roadless Area classifications in Idaho County.

“The lands would remain Idaho Roadless Areas; the requested modification would change their management classification to provide greater flexibility to properly manage them to meet Forest Service and county goals,” Brandt and fellow Commissioners Ted Lindsley and Brad Higgins wrote in the letter. 

Little and Risch wrote back to the Idaho County commissioners on Monday, telling the commissioners to work with the Idaho Roadless Rule Implementation Commission and provide it with specific examples of necessary projects that are blocked, wildfire risk information and other supporting materials. 

“We appreciate your request for the (Idaho Roadless Rule Implementation) Commission’s assistance, and we are committed to working with you on the country’s proposed modification once you have secured its support,” Little and Risch wrote. 

Returning to Thursday’s meeting of the Committee on Federalism, Brandt told state legislators he “needs to do a little more due diligence,” but hopes to move forward soon with filing official documents. 

“Hopefully within the next week or two weeks we are going to actually be able to step forward with a petition to formally request that all of our acres are moved into general forest and grassland,” Brandt said Thursday. 

The Committee on Federalism did not take any action on Brandt’s proposal Thursday.