Idaho Supports Utah’s Land Lawsuit, Fueling Concerns Over Public Access to Land
WPBN: A lawsuit was launched by the officials of Utah in order to seize control of 18.5 million acres of public land that had not been allotted, and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador submitted a Friend of the Court Brief in support of this litigation on behalf of Idaho.
The national parks, national monuments, national forests, tribal territories, and military sites are not included in the scope of this complaint. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the state of Utah is interested in acquiring ownership of land that has not been authorized and does not have a designation.
There are over 12 million acres of land in Idaho that has not been allotted, which is nearly a quarter of the total land area in the state. Any individual is able to engage in recreation on this public land.
“These include going for a dog walk in the Boise foothills, these include river runners on the lower Salmon River, fly fisherman on the South Fork of the Snake, dirt bikers and mountain bikers in the Owyhee Front, snowmobilers and skiers in the Wood River Valley and bird hunters and big game hunters all across southern Idaho,” John Robison of the Idaho Conservation League stated. “All of these lands are unappropriated.”
In his Friend of the Court Brief, Attorney General Raul Labrador claimed that the state cannot use eminent domain for large-scale projects because of unappropriated territory.
He claimed that Idahoans lose out on revenue from mining, grazing, and timber on this area, and that it stops the state from collecting taxes on it.
Labrador also cited the Magic Valley’s Lava Ridge Wind Project as justification for Idaho’s ownership of this property.
According to Labrador, this project harms Idahoans by producing electricity primarily for California, and since it is located on federal property, the state is unable to stop it despite resistance.
A crowd gathered on the steps of Utah’s Capitol on Saturday to express disapproval of the lawsuit. People from all socioeconomic backgrounds can enjoy the outdoors thanks to public land. Concerns have been raised by this litigation regarding the possibility of selling public land to the highest bidder.
John Robison fears that if Utah prevails in this case, Idaho would do the same, and that if the state ever needed to raise money, the unappropriated land would be sold off in accordance with Idaho’s constitutional mandate to balance the budget.
It’s also critical to recognize the distinctions between public lands. In order to protect the parks, national monuments safeguard pre-designated rights, forest service wilderness areas prohibit motorized usage, and national parks have the most stringent laws and regulations.
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Utah has some fantastic national parks, and I enjoy visiting there. But because there aren’t as many rules and regulations on BLM land, I spend just as much time recreation. John Robison is concerned that this case may alter the current situation, which allows everyone to enjoy beautiful area.
“Now is the time for Idahoans to speak up on behalf of their public land,” Robison stated. “If this plan to take over public lands goes through the BLM ranger district offices could eventually become Sotheby’s real estate auction houses.”
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Utah has some fantastic national parks, and I enjoy visiting there. But because there aren’t as many rules and regulations on BLM land, I spend just as much time recreation. John Robison is concerned that this case may alter the current situation, which allows everyone to enjoy beautiful area.
“There’s a reason Idahoans live in Idaho and not on the east coast or in Texas,” said Robison. “We are here because of the access to the public lands, these public lands add immeasurably to our quality of life. Public lands define us as Idahoans and we are fiercely protective of them.”
The Supreme Court may decide to hear this case or refer it to a lower court as early as Monday.