John Freemuth, Boise State professor and expert on public lands policy, has died at 69
John Freemuth, an expert on public land and environmental policy issues and a longtime Boisean, died Saturday of a heart attack, according to colleagues. He was 69.
Freemuth was a professor of public policy at Boise State University, where he also had strong ties to the Andrus Center for Public Policy. That nonprofit was founded by Idaho politician, and former governor, Cecil Andrus in 1995 to foster “common sense” discussion on policy issues.
Freemuth grew up in California, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in politics from Pomona College in 1972. He spent time in the 1970s working for the Internal Revenue Service, as a National Park Service ranger at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Utah, as well as teaching high school and coaching cross-country. In 1986, Freemuth graduated from Colorado State University with a doctorate in politics and government.
From there, Freemuth came to Boise State. There, he served as the the Cecil Andrus endowed chairman for environment and public lands and wrote numerous articles and books on public lands issues, particularly as they pertained to the Western U.S. He taught many courses and served as a mentor for hundreds of students, many of whom went on to prominent roles in politics and conservation in Idaho.
“When John passed away, he was doing what he loved doing, and that was being a resource and a guide ... both for students and for Western discourse,” said Tracy Andrus, president and chairman of the Andrus Center for Public Policy.
Freemuth is survived by his wife, Sheri, and two sons.
Freemuth balanced all sides of environmental issues
In his decades as part of public policy circles in Idaho, Freemuth became a staple figure.
“John’s been a part of the Andrus Center for Public Policy almost since the beginning,” said Tracy Andrus in a phone interview Sunday. “He got involved in late ‘90s. My memory is that he was just always there.”
For decades, Freemuth worked closely with former Democratic Idaho governor and Interior Secretary Cecil Andrus, Tracy’s father. Tracy Andrus said they were “pragmatic conservationists” committed to facilitating agreement.
“John believed strongly in dad’s legacy ... of a common sense approach,” Tracy Andrus said. “They were both always voices of reason on issues that politically charged.”
Freemuth had a skill for seeing issues from both sides. His objectivity earned him a spot as a moderator at numerous debates and on many panels, where he talked about environmental issues alongside the likes of Bureau of Land Management Director William Perry Pendley.
“He was always so extraordinarily balanced,” said Rick Johnson, retired former director of the Idaho Conservation League.
Johnson serves on the Board of Governors for the Andrus Center, where he worked with Freemuth. Johnson said Freemuth found a way to “blend the practical and the academic on politics.”
Idaho Rep. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said he saw Freemuth’s mediation firsthand when the two served on then-Gov. Phil Batt’s federal lands task force — Bedke as a representative of the livestock industry and Freemuth as an intermediary.
“Scott and John always got along — and people would’ve thought that we wouldn’t have,” said Bedke in a phone interview. “I think that speaks to the man, it speaks to the type of person he was.
“When you’re talking about managing federal lands or natural resources in the West ... it’s a complex issue,” Bedke continued. “There are a lot of stakeholders, and everyone has their bias. And yet we’re expected to get along in this multiple-use regime, and John was able to bring good perspective to all of that and balance it out — but not to the elimination of one use or another. It was in a way of finding room for everybody.”
Freemuth served as mentor, counselor for public policy students and more
Freemuth regularly invited colleagues like Bedke and Johnson to speak to his students. Some of those students later went to work with Johnson at the Idaho Conservation League. Johnson said he watched Freemuth treat his students — graduate and undergraduate alike — as equals.
“John was approachable to everybody, and I think he was respected pretty deeply for that,” Johnson said. “I think for a number of people, he would’ve been one of the first adults in their growing professional experience that treated them as a peer. It’s a way to mentor people that is very impactful for a young person exploring where they’re going to go.”
Among those that counted Freemuth as a mentor is Boise Mayor Lauren McLean. In a phone interview, McLean said Freemuth helped convince her to follow the connection she felt to Boise — which led her to Boise State, where she earned a master’s degree in environmental policy in 2001.
“We shared a love of environmental policy and public land policy and access to public lands,” McLean said. “He was a close professor, mentor, counselor ... in a really important time in my life.”
McLean said she frequently took classes from Freemuth and recalled bringing her then-infant daughter to his classes at Freemuth’s urging. McLean said it was “an incredible joy” to later work alongside Freemuth as a member of the Andrus Center Board of Governors.
“He was a counselor to so many policy makers, a deep thinker on the importance of public lands everywhere — but especially to our state — and someone who truly loved the university, students and the people of this state,” McLean said.
Freemuth’s loss resounds across Idaho — and so does his influence
Several of Freemuth’s friends and colleagues expressed their shock at his unexpected death. Prior to his heart attack on Saturday, Freemuth was conducting business as usual, working on a book about Idaho’s Craters of the Moon and seeing to his duties as a professor and Andrus Center chairman.
“I am particularly shocked by this news, as earlier in the week at the semi-annual Andrus Center Board meeting, John was his normal self, animated as ever and full of life, reporting on his recent work in a way that I had seen so many times before,” wrote Andy Giacomazzi, interim dean of Boise State’s School of Public Service, in an email to colleagues on Sunday afternoon.
McLean said she’d thought of Freemuth on Sunday — before learning that he’d died — while running in the Foothills, where she’d seen another runner with a gait similar to Freemuth’s distinctive step.
Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, who frequently crossed paths with Freemuth, said in a statement on Sunday that he was “deeply saddened to hear the news of John’s passing.”
“He will forever be remembered as a man who cared deeply about Idaho’s natural resources and wildlands and bringing people together to discuss public policy concerning these issues,” Simpson said. “Kathy and I send our thoughts and prayers to his family.”
Others who worked with Freemuth applauded his work, as well as his affable nature.
“John Freemuth was a great friend and invaluable partner of the Western Governors’ Association,” said Jim Ogsbury, the organization’s executive director, in a statement on Monday. “With his nuanced understanding of policy-making, as well as his rich experience and informed perspective, he was a tremendous resource to Western Governors. Moreover, he was a warm, compassionate and big-hearted individual who will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sheri and the Freemuth family during this tragic time.”
Boise State University President Marlene Tromp said in a statement that she’d heard from numerous people by Sunday afternoon who considered Freemuth a mentor and role model.
“The loss of John isn’t just a loss for Boise State and his field, but for everyone who knew him,” Tromp said. “... He will be profoundly missed, but his impact — through all those he and his work touched — will vibrantly live on.”
Tracy Andrus said that legacy would bring Freemuth joy.
“The impact John would be proudest of is the impact he had on students,” she said. “He saw them as the leaders of tomorrow. So I think when you look at all the wonderful things John accomplished, he’d be proudest of those people who he helped build their voice and give the tools to lead.”
Giacomazzi said there will be a schoolwide celebration of Freemuth’s life at a later date. Information on services has not yet been shared.
This story was originally published May 3, 2020 at 8:25 PM.
