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Labrador Letter – Idaho Lands in Idaho Hands. By Attorney General Raúl Labrador (01/17/25, post updated 01/20/25)
Idaho’s Attorney General provided updates on a recent case against the federal BLM (Bureau of Land Management), the Lava Ridge Wind Turbine project, and his ongoing efforts to bring Idaho’s federal lands into local control. As always, the AG’s newsletter was eloquent, passionate, and fact-filled.
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to take up the Utah lands suit, I will fight to preserve public access to Idaho lands by keeping those decisions out of federal hands.
I am also unshakeable in my belief that those lands will be managed best by Idahoans, rather than a faceless bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. where political whims shift with the wind.
State control embodies the very principle of Federalism and reinforces that the best government is the government closest and most accountable to the people.
The priority of Idahoans to protect access to their bountiful natural resources will always guide my actions.
— Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador
Highlights:
Supreme Court Action: The U.S. Supreme Court would not hear a Utah public lands lawsuit filed in August of 2024 to move undesignated Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands to individual state control. This decision was made without considering the constitutional merits of the case. Labrador had filed an amicus brief on behalf of this lawsuit. The lawsuit was opposed by out-of-state environmental groups that did not provide factual information to their members.
Idaho Department of Lands (IDL): AG Labrador is one of five Land Board members that direct IDL. The board continues to increase state ownership in Idaho forests, having purchased approximately 54,000 acres of productive timberland over the last 9 years. Once privately owned, this land is now managed by the state and accessible to the public for recreation. During the same period, the state sold only 324 acres of land.
Federal Government Financial Interests: The federal government has a financial interest in controlling as much Idaho land as it can.
Almost 100% of BLM lands are in only 10 Western states.
The federal government can lease “their” lands for grazing, timber, and mining, funneling billions of dollars away from Western states annually.
12% of Idaho’s lands are held by BLM, depriving the state of income from fees and flowing funds to D.C. for federal — not Idaho’s — priorities.
Federal vs State Land Management: Approximately 97% of Idaho-managed state land is open to the public for recreational use. Lands that Idaho manages are healthier than Idaho’s lands under federal control. The federal government allows fires, diseases, and insect infestations from its lands to cross over into state and private lands.
Federal vs State Fire Management: During the devastating 2024 wildfires, Idaho’s federally controlled BLM forests were turned into charcoal and ash through a “let it burn” policy, and our cities and towns choked on the smoke. Anemic timber production, massive underbrush growth, poor insect control, and a lack of access roads for contract fire fighters contributed to this result on federal lands.
As of September 1, 2024, 405,385 acres of federal land burned, while just under 30,000 acres of state land were burned. Idaho dedicates thoughtful, preemptive care into protecting state lands and managing them against loss. Idaho’s clear interest in protecting lands within our state and preserving recreational access and economic vitality far exceeds that of a detached federal bureaucracy.
Administering Unappropriated Lands: Idaho cannot administer or manage lands within its borders thanks to federal laws, regulations, and rules. Case in point, the widely hated Lava Ridge Wind Turbine project.
Lava Ridge has widespread opposition in Idaho from diverse groups who don’t want massive turbines looming over the Magic Valley, with the power being shipped down to California.
The project is sited on BLM land, so Idaho’s voices don’t count — even though Idaho’s wildlife, vistas, historical sites, and agricultural aviation all will suffer.
The project is controlled by out-of-state interests and an East Coast energy consortium that struck a bargain with the federal government.
Feds announced their plans to move forward with the project, despite a majority of our state opposing it.
AG Labrador (along with Idaho’s state and federal lawmakers) has been fighting an uphill battle against the Biden Administration over Lava Ridge for the last two years.
ED NOTE
Cloud seeding and its relationship to Idaho's wildfires is an unaddressed issue in both the Attorney General's letter and in a related press release by Governor Brad Little. An Idaho citizen who has been researching cloud seeding shared some important commentary, which we've summarized below with permission. (See Related Links below for references.)
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Commentary
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Could Idaho Power and Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) also be taking advantage of these public lands? Are these groups drying out vegetation in areas where their cloud seeding chemicals are changing the ecological health of the forests? Could silver iodide, methanol, liquid propane, etc. be contributing to Idaho's wildfire problem?
In Idaho, no investigations are taking place and DEQ is not testing. While the federal government should be responsible for unmitigated fires, Idaho also may be mismanaging the land by allowing Idaho Power and IDWR to perform an open-air experiment with taxpayer funds.
Did you know: Idaho's cloud seeding program received a liability release from HB266 in 2021. Cloud seeding contractors are NOT responsible for harms!
Is Idaho's government colluding with private industry to have no liability on their pet projects? Special treatment for private industry is embarrassing and a possible reason many other states prohibit utilities from lobbying.Related Links:
Labrador Letter – Idaho Lands in Idaho Hands. By Raúl Labrador, Idaho AG (01/18/25), posted in Gem State Patriot News. Comment: gemstatepatriot.com/blo…
Cloud Seeding Experiment in Idaho: eolson47.substack.com/p…
Governor Little's Press Release: gov.idaho.gov/pressrele…
House Bill 266 (2021): legislature.idaho.gov/s…
Idaho is Again the Target of “Green Energy” Bureau of Land Management Projects. This time, it’s for solar and wind projects between the cities of Gooding and Shoshone, Idaho. Shades of Lava Ridge?
