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SJM110.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS CLEARWATER BASIN PROJECT ACT - Stating findings of the Legislature and endorsing the federally proposed Clearwater Basin Project Act, endorsing continued action by the federal government, as well as the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners, toward additional development and implementation of pilot projects for improved management of federal lands in other areas of Idaho where local support exists, and endorsing the coordination of Idaho federal land pilot project efforts with implementation by federal agencies of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, nation, state of Idaho, and community catastrophic wildfire risk reduction plans, stewardship, contracting authority, and other initiatives to improve federal land management. 03/15 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 03/16 Rpt prt - to 10th Ord 03/18 10th Ord - ADOPTED - voice vote Floor Sponsors - Brandt & Little Title apvd - to House 03/18 House intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Con 03/19 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 03/20 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg Rls susp - ADOPTED - voice vote Floor Sponsor - Cuddy Title apvd - to Senate 03/20 To enrol 03/22 Rpt enrol - Pres signed - Sp signed To Secretary of State
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session - 2004IN THE SENATE SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 110 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 1 A JOINT MEMORIAL 2 TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTA- 3 TIVES OF THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL 4 DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED 5 STATES. 6 We, your Memorialists, the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 7 State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-seventh 8 Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that: 9 WHEREAS, 39% of the land area in the state of Idaho is national forest 10 administered by the U.S. Forest Service, and an additional 22% of the land 11 area in Idaho is public land administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Manage- 12 ment; and 13 WHEREAS, in 1996, the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners appointed the Fed- 14 eral Land Task Force to examine alternative methods of federal land management 15 in Idaho. In July of 1998, the task force completed its report entitled "New 16 Approaches for Managing Federally Administered Lands." The report identified 17 problems with management of lands administered by the Forest Service and the 18 Bureau of Land Management in Idaho and recommended the pursuit of pilot proj- 19 ects to test collaborative, cooperative, and/or trust models as alternative 20 approaches for federal land management; and 21 WHEREAS, in March of 1999, the First Regular Session of the Fifty-fifth 22 Idaho Legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 8, endorsing the 23 task force report, stating its support for further action by the Idaho Board 24 of Land Commissioners on the proposals contained in the report, and urging the 25 Congress of the United States to pass legislation implementing the recommenda- 26 tions contained in the report; and 27 WHEREAS, in September of 1999, the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners 28 appointed the Federal Land Task Force Working Group to identify pilot projects 29 to test the three alternative approaches described in the task force report; 30 and 31 WHEREAS, in December of 2000, after soliciting and reviewing pilot project 32 proposals from around Idaho, the working group completed its report entitled 33 "Breaking the Gridlock: Federal Land Pilot Projects in Idaho." The report con- 34 firmed the continuing need to pursue alternative ways to manage federal lands 35 in Idaho, described five such pilot projects proposed for different locations 36 within Idaho, and recommended the projects be considered for implementation; 37 and 38 WHEREAS, the working group report was circulated for public comment 39 between December of 2000 and February of 2001, and over 80% of the 500 com- 40 ments received from within and outside Idaho were favorable of the report. In 41 February of 2001, the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners reviewed and approved 42 the report; and 43 WHEREAS, one of the projects in the report, designed to provide a working 44 test of a more collaborative approach to management of national forest lands 2 1 in the Clearwater River Basin, was developed into draft legislation known as 2 the Clearwater Basin Project Act; and 3 WHEREAS, in the first session of the 108th Congress of the United States, 4 the Clearwater Basin Project Act was introduced in the United States House of 5 Representatives by Congressman Otter of Idaho, on behalf of himself and Con- 6 gressman Simpson, as H.R. 835, and in the United States Senate by Senator 7 Craig of Idaho as S. 433; and 8 WHEREAS, since introduction of the Clearwater Basin Project Act, the fed- 9 eral Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 was enacted, and Congress has 10 expanded stewardship contracting authority for projects on lands administered 11 by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service; and 12 WHEREAS, catastrophic fire, fish and wildlife habitat, forest health, and 13 other environmental and management problems identified in the reports of the 14 task force and working group persist regarding federal lands administered by 15 the Forest Service in the Clearwater Basin, in which the citizens and communi- 16 ties of Idaho have a vital stake; and 17 WHEREAS, the proposed federal Clearwater Basin Project Act will assist in 18 addressing these problems and providing a useful working test for improved 19 management of national forest lands, fully consistent with continued federal 20 ownership and decision making authority over these lands, inclusive of 21 requirements for public participation and environmental protection; and 22 WHEREAS, the proposed Clearwater Basin Project Act will act to enhance, 23 and will be fully consistent with, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, 24 national, state of Idaho, and community catastrophic wildfire risk reduction 25 plans, stewardship contracting authority, and other initiatives addressing 26 federal land management issues; and 27 WHEREAS, additional useful pilot projects to implement the recommendations 28 in the reports of the Federal Land Task Force and Federal Land Task Force 29 Working Group may be further developed with local interest and support, and 30 require federal legislation to fully implement. 31 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses- 32 sion of the Fifty-seventh Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Rep- 33 resentatives concurring therein, that we endorse the federally proposed Clear- 34 water Basin Project Act, urge the congressional delegation representing the 35 state of Idaho to work toward enactment of the legislation with continued pub- 36 lic participation, and urge the Congress of the United States to enact the 37 Clearwater Basin Project Act. 38 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we endorse continued action by the federal 39 government, as well as the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners, toward addi- 40 tional development and implementation of pilot projects for improved manage- 41 ment of federal lands in other areas of Idaho where local support exists, in 42 accordance with the recommendations in the July 1998 report of the Federal 43 Lands Task Force and the December 2000 report of the Federal Lands Task Force 44 Working Group. 45 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we endorse coordinating Idaho federal land 46 pilot project efforts with implementation by federal agencies of the Healthy 47 Forests Restoration Act, national, state of Idaho, and community catastrophic 48 wildfire risk reduction plans, stewardship contracting authority, and other 49 initiatives to improve federal land management. 50 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is 51 hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the Pres- 52 ident of the United States, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 53 House of Representatives of Congress, and the congressional delegation repre- 54 senting the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.