After Legislature balks, others plan Sawtooth resolutions, including city of Boise
A Boise City Council member is working on a resolution to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, a popular expanse in the mountains of Central Idaho.
Council President Pro Tem Holli Woodings told the Idaho Statesman on Friday that she would be introducing the resolution in the coming weeks and that she expects it to be well-received.
“Everyone on Boise City Council understands the role of recreation and the Sawtooths on the livability of Boise, so I expect it to be widely supported,” she said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the recreation area, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Consisting of 756,000 acres of mountainous landscape, the area boasts more than 300 alpine lakes and many peaks taller than 10,000 feet, as well as habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife. It was created in 1972 by an act of Congress, and at the time, Idaho’s congressional delegation decided against seeking designation as a national park.
In March, the Idaho House voted down a resolution celebrating the recreation area for the second time during the session. The concurrent resolution would have recognized the recreation area’s 50th anniversary and celebrated “the contributions that Idahoans have made to protect and appreciate this iconic landscape in Idaho.”
During debate over the resolution in the House, which was introduced by a Democrat, multiple Republican legislators complained that the measure celebrated federal control of land in Idaho, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. It failed in a 45-22 vote the second time.
“I’m not sure what the dynamic is around folks suddenly not supporting public lands, but I do know that the vast majority of people who live in Idaho are fierce public land advocates,” Woodings said.
The mayor of Stanley, a town nestled in the Sawtooth Valley, told the Statesman that Forest Service management and the protected status of the region have been a boon for his community.
In March, Stanley passed its own resolution celebrating the SNRA, which noted the expanse’s values of “recreation opportunities and environmental protection.”
“Stanley is centered on recreation and tourism, and that’s dependent on the Sawtooth NRA,” Mayor Steve Botti said. He added that he appreciates seeing the landscape, ecological habitats, and natural and cultural features of the region protected so that people can enjoy them “in the years to come.”
“That’s why they did it. They wanted to preserve it,” he said.
Botti said he was “disappointed” that the Legislature had not supported a resolution, adding that federal management means Idaho taxpayers do not bear all of the financial burdens.
Botti said plans for a large mine in the area was one factor that triggered the creation of the recreation area, which he said is often referred to as the “crown jewel” of such areas in the U.S. He said not having the SNRA would have had a “deleterious” effect on recreation in Idaho, and the region “probably wouldn’t be what we have today.”
“People who live here benefit from the fact that the Forest Service is funded by all the people in the United States, not just by the people of Idaho,” he said.
Angenie McCleary, vice chair of the Blaine County Board of Commissioners, told the Statesman that she plans on introducing a similar resolution in the coming weeks. Blaine County hosts the headquarters of the recreation area.
McCleary said there is “a lot of opposition to anything that has to do with federally mandated lands” in Idaho.
“I was disappointed to see that the Legislature didn’t do it, but at least some of the jurisdictions are taking action,” she said.
Resolutions are generally official statements of opinion but do not involve funding or statutory changes.
This story was originally published April 16, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
