Our View: Idaho groups' roadless plan should be commended

In a state with 9.3 million acres of roadless forest lands, there ought to be ample room for compromise.

A group of Idahoans deserves credit for working through their differences and working over the maps. The resulting plan will preserve more than 95 percent of these lands, providing valuable habitat for Idaho wildlife, and solitude and recreation for Idaho outdoor enthusiasts.

The roadless agreement provides evidence that Westerners can resolve contentious natural resource issues - providing, perhaps, a model for crafting a regional compromise to preserve imperiled salmon.

This sounds daunting, and perhaps far-fetched. But then again, a roadless accord had long seemed impossible - until the timber industry and the environmental community stopped fixating on getting everything they wanted, and started to focus on getting results.

The forest industry had to accept a plan that allows permanent road-building and logging on 405,000 acres of roadless land - down from the 609,000 acres then-Gov. Jim Risch proposed in his initial, and largely well-received, 2006 roadless draft plan.

Wisely, some outdoor advocates and environmental groups, such as the Idaho Conservation League, moved away from the 9.3-million-acre roadless preservation plan proposed at the end of the Clinton administration, accepting a plan to preserve 8.9 million acres.

A pretty good deal. To put 8.9 million acres in perspective, this is a land expanse 13 times larger than Ada County. This plan will preserve roadless habitat that is, literally, the envy of the rest of the lower 48. Only Alaska boasts more roadless lands.

The roadless agreement isn't just a win for the interest groups. It reflects well on Risch, the Republican lieutenant governor who helped broker the deal during his seven-month tenure as governor. The roadless agreement actually earned the praise of Risch's Democratic opponent for U.S. Senate, Larry LaRocco, who still managed to throw in a jab or two at Risch. "Even though his legislative record describes a man who represents a narrow band of constituents, Risch bent to the will of a majority of Idahoans who wanted to protect roadless national forests."

The obligatory election-year sniping aside, it is heartening to hear Risch talk about building on this success to tackle the plight of Idaho's endangered salmon. If elected to the Senate, Risch says he will bring the various interest groups to the table.

This would require a big table - after all, the salmon issue affects anglers, shippers, water users, utilities and Indian tribes across the Northwest. But considering that Risch is hoping to replace Republican Larry Craig, who has done little to protect Idaho salmon in a 28-year congressional career, some ambitious thinking is downright refreshing.

Idaho's salmon need advocates in high places. Let's hope the next senator tries to fill this void.

"Our View" is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman's editorial board. To comment on an editorial or suggest a topic, e-mail editorial@idahostatesman.com.