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SJM116..........................................................by STENNETT
PUBLIC LANDS - FEDERAL - Stating findings of the Legislature and requesting
that Congress oppose the sale of federal lands located in Idaho for the
reason of helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina or any other purpose;
and urging Congress, when considering any future sale of federal public
lands in Idaho, to involve the participation of the Idaho people and to
condition the sale upon continued access to the remaining public lands.
01/18 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/19 Rpt prt - to St Aff
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2006
IN THE SENATE
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 116
BY STENNETT
1 A JOINT MEMORIAL
2 TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE
3 INTERIOR, TO THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, TO THE LEADERSHIP
4 OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES IN CON-
5 GRESS ASSEMBLED, TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED
6 STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRE-
7 SENTING THE STATE OF IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
8 We, your Memorialists, the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
9 State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth
10 Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that:
11 WHEREAS, the Congress has before it H.R.3855, legislation which would man-
12 date the sale of fifteen percent of total federal lands held by the United
13 States Forest Service and the United States Department of the Interior, with
14 emphasis on lands in those states, like Idaho, where the United States owns
15 more than fifteen percent of the total land area, to help pay for the
16 devastation wreaked by hurricane Katrina;
17 WHEREAS, approximately 20,458,000 acres of land, over thirty-eight percent
18 of the land in Idaho, is owned by the Forest Service, and approximately
19 11,836,000 acres, over twenty-two percent of the land in Idaho, is owned by
20 the Bureau of Land Management;
21 WHEREAS, H.R.3855 would expose vast amounts of the Idaho lands owned by
22 the federal government for sale to the highest bidder;
23 WHEREAS, the public lands in Idaho represent a cherished wilderness heri-
24 tage for Idahoans who rely on the public lands for work and recreation,
25 including outfitters and guides, miners, loggers, hunters, fishermen, campers,
26 climbers, hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers, four wheelers, white water
27 boaters, power boaters, cross county skiers and snowshoers, snowmobilers,
28 berry pickers, picnickers, and lovers of the beauty, elegance and wildness of
29 the public lands and the plants and animals that populate them, as well as
30 those Idahoans who earn a livelihood by providing equipment and services to
31 these public land users;
32 WHEREAS, Idahoans firmly believe that access to the public lands is a
33 birthright, reflecting their independent spirit, not to be impaired.
34 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses-
35 sion of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Repre-
36 sentatives concurring therein, that we respectfully request that Congress
37 oppose any sale of the federal public lands in Idaho for the purported purpose
38 of assisting the victims of hurricane Katrina or any other alleged purpose.
39 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Session of the
40 Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Representatives
41 concurring therein, that we urge that any future sale of the federal public
42 lands in Idaho that may be authorized by Congress, for whatever purpose,
43 require the participation of the Idaho people and be conditioned upon contin-
44 ued access to the remaining federal and state public lands.
2
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is
2 hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the Pres-
3 ident of the United States, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, to the
4 leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in
5 Congress assembled, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
6 House of Representatives of Congress, and the congressional delegation repre-
7 senting the State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 15646
The purpose of this memorial is to unequivocally state the
position of the legislature of the State of Idaho regarding the
sale of Public Lands. Our position to the President and Congress
of the United States of America is to oppose the sale of federal
lands located in Idaho for the purported reason of helping the
victims of Hurricane Katrina or any other purpose; and urging the
President and Congress that any future sale of federal public
lands in Idaho involve the participation of the Idaho people and
be conditioned upon continued access to the remaining public
lands.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
Contact
Name: Sen. Clint Stennett
Phone: 332-1351
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE SJM 116