Idaho is a special place...

... a rugged Western state, endowed with clean water, abundant wildlife, productive lands and strong people. We are blessed with the most amazing working lands and

wild places left in America. No matter where you live, Idahoans can always find a quiet place to fish, hunt, hike, ride, swim, or ski.

But Idaho’s outdoors are much more than just a great place to play. Along with our people, Idaho’s natural resources are our biggest economic asset—an asset we need to invest in and protect. Idaho’s economy simply cannot flourish without clean water, healthy lands, and thriving fish and wildlife.

From semi-conductors to hydropower, from the smallest farmers to our diverse agribusinesses, key drivers of our economy need abundant, clean water and healthy lands. Our natural infrastructure is just as important as our built infrastructure of transportation and energy networks.

But Idaho’s lands and waters and way of life are threatened. Idaho’s population has tripled since 1950. Between 2000 and 2010, the population grew more than 21%—fourth fastest in the nation.1 As Idaho grows, the state’s clean water, working forests, farms and ranches, critical wildlife habitat, and access to outdoor recreation are increasingly vulnerable – as are the economic benefits these resources provide.

Our economic vitality hinges on protecting Idaho’s rural working lands for its people, and ensuring public access to land and water. Agriculture remains the backbone of the state’s economy: a $9.4 billion industry.2 The outdoor recreation industry generates $6.3 billion annually.3 Together, the two industries directly

employ 125,000 Idahoans.4 Both require healthy lands and plenty of clean water.

With so much growth, what is being done to preserve the unique character of Idaho, to provide for clean water, a strong economy, and the opportunity for all Idahoans to enjoy our natural areas?

The truth about what is being done to preserve our land and water may surprise you, because the answer is:

Long-term conservation efforts are hampered without a dedicated source of state funding. Local partners in conservation often rely on matching funds to complete key projects. Without the state at the table as a financial partner, projects in every region of Idaho remain stalled. The lack of funding for land and water conservation in Idaho may come as a surprise, especially compared to our Western neighbors. Unlike Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington, Idaho has not yet created a statewide fund to help restore and protect the working land and water we take for granted.

We are fortunate to live in a state where landowners are good stewards, but we can’t rely solely on individual landowners to protect Idaho’s natural heritage. It’s up to all of us—businesses, non-profits, elected officials, farmers and ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and the State of Idaho—to work together to safeguard our economic interests and benefit future generations.

Together, we can do better.

LAND CONSERVATION SPENDING2003-2013

STATE

Montana

Colorado

Wyoming

Washington

New Mexico

Oregon

Nevada

Utah

Idaho

DOLLARS PER CAPITA*

$100

$69

$67

$61

$17

$17

$15

$6

$4

South Fork of the Snake River

not enough.OUR ECONOMY, OUR FUTUREInvesting in clean water and healthy lands for Idaho

Presented By:

1 http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-01.pdf

2 http://web.cals.uidaho.edu/idahoagbiz/files/2015/01/financialcondition2014-Dec.pdf

3 http://outdoorindustry.org/images/ore_reports/ID-idaho-outdoorrecreationeconomy-oia.pdf

4 http://lmi.idaho.gov/Portals/13/2014/FarmLabor/AgriculturalEstimates.pdf5 Based on average annual volume growth of 600 board feet per acre and economic estimates from: Cook, P. S. and O’Laughlin, J. 2006. Idaho’s Forest Products Business Sector: Contributions, Challenges, and Opportunities. University of Idaho Policy Analysis Group. Moscow, Idaho.

6 https://adacounty.id.gov/Parks-Waterways/Float-the-River

Land Conservation Spending Data source: “Conservation Almanac,” The Trust for Public Land, www.conservationalmanac.org*Based on 2010 population: US Census Bureau, quickfacts.census.gov

Cover Photo Credit: South Fork of the Snake River, BLM/Idaho

Boundary Connections In Boundary County, home to the winding Kootenai River and some of the finest hunting, huckleberry picking and hiking anywhere, there is great need to rejuvenate the local economy and protect the fragile wildlife that moves between the Selkirk, Purcell and Cabinet mountain ranges. A successful effort will protect local jobs through sustainable forest management and the sale of timber to local mills.

Today, three critical conservation projects connecting McArthur Lake, Hall Mountain and the Kootenai Valley are queued up. These projects preserve public access to 18,000 acres of land, but have stalled because critical matching funds cannot be found. If successful, these lands will continue to produce more than 100 million board feet of timber each decade, generating over $30 million in timber value and directly supporting 130 jobs in the timber industry.5 However, there is no money available from the State of Idaho for projects like this.

The Boise River at Work and Play

Boiseans enjoy one of our nation’s great urban rivers. The Boise River and its famed Greenbelt provide habitat for a rich diversity of fish and wildlife, from rainbow trout to bald eagles. More than 100,000 anglers and floaters enjoy its cool, clean water every year.6

Look downstream and the Boise becomes a working river that gets diverted and reused many times before it returns to its channel on its way to the Snake River and Brownlee Reservoir. Cities, industry, and agriculture depend on the water of the Boise River. As it is used, it accumulates nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides, and other pollutants from urban and agricultural runoff. Downstream contamination is an economic issue.

That’s why farmers, communities, and conservationists are working together to improve water quality. Together they are replacing flood irrigation with new systems that cut water use in half. They are encouraging and adopting practices that improve soil health and drastically reduce polluted runoff. These projects cost money but increase yield and soil health on the farm and improve water quality for all of us.

Private and federal contributions provide financial incentives to landowners, but are not enough. Financial assistance under the Farm Bill and Clean Water Act require state or private matching funds and fund only a fraction of the requests from willing farmers. Until additional funding becomes available, improvements will occur too slowly to fully protect our soil and water.

Upper Snake River Partners

The Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer (ESPA), an underground body of water the size of Lake Erie, has played a big part in the massive growth of Idaho’s agriculture industry, but it is now under threat. The ESPA region provides 21% of all the economic goods and services in Idaho, generating more than $10 billion each year and sustaining thousands of jobs. Long considered a giant water bank where deposits always seemed to surpass withdrawals, the aquifer is now declining. Idahoans must now manage the ESPA or face dire shortages of water for people and fisheries.

With adverse economic impacts looming, local groups and the State of Idaho have partnered on projects that support irrigated agriculture, stabilize groundwater levels, and help aquatic species like Yellowstone cutthroat trout that depend on clean, cool water. In this case, the State has stepped up, pledging $5 million a year to help stabilize the aquifer, but other equally critical scenarios go unfunded.

The Bottom LineIdaho needs a dedicated conservation fund to tackle collaborative, community-based projects that protect Idaho jobs and our way of life.

Idaho must invest to keep its natural character, its heritage, and its resource-based economy. The State of Idaho has a shared responsibility to become a full partner in conserving our land and water. More people and more development don’t have to pose a threat to our great state. With the right programs, partnerships, and investments, Idaho as we know it will be preserved for generations to come.

To be successful, we can follow the lead of other states and communities. In 2014 alone, voters in 20 states passed 26 state and local ballot measures to fund high-impact conservation programs. We know conserving what we have in Idaho will cost money. But it’s an investment in our economy and our way of life.

How much is a strong economy worth?

How much would you pay to ensure that you, your children and even your grandchildren have the same clean water and healthy lands we have enjoyed?

“These forests have provided income for our family and protection of our water source all while furnishing a home for an abundance of wildlife and serenity for ourselves.”

– Dave Gause, Landowner, Boundary County

“Idaho’s outdoor recreation industry supports 77,000 jobs. Healthy lands and waters, and ensuring access to these places, are essential to the outdoor economy.”

– Cailin O’Brien-Feeney, Idaho Outdoor Business Council

“If all farms in the valley switched to drip, we’d never, ever have another drought. I’m using less water on my mint drip system than I’d use during a drought year.”

– Robert McKellip, Nampa farmer

Conservation Partnerships The case for collaboration

Time to step up to investments that work