Risch talks a big game on public lands but sold them out in the end | Opinion

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch said only Congress can sell public land. He’s wrong.

Risch’s vote for “Sell-Off Steve” opens a door to large losses of public lands.

Idahoans were crystal clear last year when the proposal to sell millions of acres of public land was moving in Congress: hell no.

And we were pleased that our own Sen. Risch stood with us, saying he’d vote against the Big Bill if it included that provision.

But now, as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Risch has rescinded that support by voting in favor of a big proponent of large scale land sales — “Sell-Off Steve” Pearce — to run our nation’s largest public land agency, the BLM.

His justification? Risch said that the BLM director doesn’t have the authority to sell-off public lands, telling us to rest assured that “Sell-Off Steve” wouldn’t be able to single-handedly sell off our lands if appointed to his new role, since it would require Congressional approval. But that’s simply not true.

Under federal law, the BLM director has discretion to sell parcels of public land up to 2,500 acres without Congressional oversight, providing these tracts are identified for “disposal” in a BLM land use plan. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, there is no limit on how many parcels could be sold. And there are more than 6 million acres of BLM-managed public lands in 17 states, including Idaho, that are available for potential sale if certain circumstances are met.

It may be unlikely that this authority would be used to sell millions of acres, but it could certainly apply to hundreds or even thousands of acres of public lands that have significant wildlife habitat, cultural and historic values, and recreation areas.

Around Boise, many of the foothills surrounding our city could be prime targets for sale with a land use plan amendment. It includes many of the most popular hiking trails — places where people go multiple times every week to run their dogs, mountain bike and hike to relax and recharge.

Pearce has talked a good game about loving the outdoors and backpacking throughout his upbringing, and in his post Vietnam life. But his record of actively pushing for the mass sell-off of public lands speaks for itself. And he even said outright during the recent nomination hearing that he’s not sure his views have changed.

If Risch cares about keeping public lands in public hands as he says — and as 96% of Idahoans and even the full Idaho Legislature say — then he has no choice but to do everything he can to prevent Pearce from becoming our BLM director, vote no on Pearce’s upcoming full Senate confirmation, and urge Sen. Crapo and his other colleagues to do the same. He can’t pass the buck and say Pearce doesn’t have the authority to sell off lands when we all know too well that, as BLM Ddrector, Pearce will be given the keys to our shared public lands heritage. And that’s something Idaho voters won’t forget.

Jennifer James is Idaho outings chair for the Idaho Sierra Club.