2008 Legislation
Print Friendly

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 10<br /> – Wild & Scenic Rivers Act

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 10

View Bill Status

View Bill Text

View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



Text to be added within a bill has been marked with Bold and
Underline. Text to be removed has been marked with
Strikethrough and Italic. How these codes are actually displayed will
vary based on the browser software you are using.

This sentence is marked with bold and underline to show added text.

This sentence is marked with strikethrough and italic, indicating
text to be removed.

Bill Status



HJM010.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS - Stating findings of the Legislature and urging the
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture of the United
States Department of Agriculture, the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and
Idaho's congressional delegation to prohibit the U.S. Forest Service from
interfering, pursuant to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, with the
legitimate use by private landowners engaged in light ranching and farming
operations.

02/12    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/13    Rpt prt - to Res/Con

Bill Text




                                                                       
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-ninth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2008

                                                                       

                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 10

                                 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

  1                                   A JOINT MEMORIAL
  2    TO THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE OF  THE  UNITED
  3        STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, THE CHIEF OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE,
  4        AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF IDAHO IN THE
  5        CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

  6        We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and the Senate of  the
  7    State  of  Idaho  assembled  in  the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-ninth
  8    Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that:

  9        WHEREAS, the U.S. Forest Service was established in 1905 as an  agency  of
 10    the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of managing public
 11    lands in national forests and grasslands; and
 12        WHEREAS,  the  Wild  and Scenic Rivers Act establishes a National Wild and
 13    Scenic Rivers System for the protection of rivers with important scenic,  rec-
 14    reational,  fish  and  wildlife, and other values. The act designates specific
 15    rivers for inclusion in the system and prescribes the methods and standards by
 16    which additional rivers may be added; and
 17        WHEREAS, the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River was included in the  Wild
 18    and Scenic River System in 1968, authorizing, among other things, the acquisi-
 19    tion  of easements from private landowners for the protection of the character
 20    of the river and its surroundings but was to retain the right for rural  agri-
 21    cultural uses, including light ranching and farming operations; and
 22        WHEREAS, the U.S. Forest Service has interfered with the use of such lands
 23    by  private  landowners  within  the  state of Idaho on the Middle Fork of the
 24    Clearwater River, narrowly defining the scope of light  ranching  and  farming
 25    operations  and the term "livestock," all to the detriment of private landown-
 26    ers.
 27        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second  Regular  Ses-
 28    sion  of  the  Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and
 29    the Senate concurring therein, that the U.S. Forest Service should be  prohib-
 30    ited  from  interfering,  pursuant to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, with the
 31    legitimate use by private landowners engaged in  light  ranching  and  farming
 32    operations.
 33        BE  IT  FURTHER  RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representa-
 34    tives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of  this
 35    Memorial to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture of the
 36    United States Department of Agriculture, the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service,
 37    and  the  congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Con-
 38    gress of the United States.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 17832

This proposed joint House Memorial is directed to the Secretary of the
Interior, The Secretary of Agriculture of the United States Department
of Agriculture, the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and to the
Congressional Delegation representing the State of Idaho in the Congress
of the United States. 

The U. S. Forest Service was established in 1905 as an agency of the U.
S. Department of Agriculture for the purpose of managing public lands in
national forests and grasslands.  In addition, the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act establishes a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System for the
protection of rivers with important scenic, recreational, fish and
wildlife, and other values. The act designates specific rivers for
inclusion in the system and prescribes the methods and standards by which
additional rivers may be added. The Middle Fork of the Clearwater Rivers
was included in the Wild and Scenic River System in 1968, authorizing
among other things, the acquisition of easements from private landlords
for the protection of the character of the river and its surroundings but
was to allow for light ranching and farming.

Recent experience has demonstrated that the U.S. Forest Service has
interfered with the use of such lands by private landowners within the
state of Idaho on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, narrowly
defining the scope of light ranching and farming operations and the term
of "livestock," all to the detriment of private landowners.  

It is the intent of this Joint Memorial that the U.S. Forest Service
should be prohibited from interfering, pursuant to the Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act, with the legitimate use by private landowners engaged in
light ranching and farming operations. 


                           FISCAL NOTE





Contact
Name: Representative Tom Trail 
Phone: (208) 332-1000
Representative Ken Roberts
Representative Paul Shepherd
Senator Lee Heinrich )332-1000




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                              HJM 10