In a letter released earlier this month, Idaho U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher sought to make clear his position on public land holdings in the state: that Idaho should control the public lands within the state’s borders.

To examine the logistics of such a change, Fulcher stated he has begun to hold stakeholder meetings across the state for discussions with “federal, state, local, and private interests to discuss best land management practices.”

Though such a policy shift would have different ramifications for other states, it would be a significant shift for Idaho, which currently has 62% of its public lands controlled by the federal government.

For the congressman, the benefits of this arrangement would be multifaceted. Having these lands under state control, Fulcher’s letter read, would open up opportunities for “timber, grazing, and mining” while simultaneously protecting against federal proposals like the Lava Ridge Wind Project, a past project approved under the Biden administration that would have brought a wind farm to southern Idaho before it was cancelled by the Trump administration this year.

As it stands, the federal government is overwhelmed in being able to effectively reduce the risk of wildfire, improve access to natural resources and address the over health of the land, Fulcher stated, adding that $50 billion in deferred maintenance across federal lands as of last year was further evidence federal authorities lacked the capability to maintain Idaho’s lands.

“No one is better equipped or more incentivized to responsibly managed Idaho land than Idahoans,” Fulcher stated in the letter. “The goal is not privatization but better stewardship through local stakeholder involvement — the state, counties, municipalities, tribes, ranchers, and river operators, all working together, are the solution.”

In response to this assertion, the Idaho Conservation League, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Wilderness Society issued a joint release this week, opposing Fulcher’s letter and asserting that these public land holdings being placed in the state’s hands would “pave the way for the privatization of lands that define Idaho’s identity.”

John Robison, public lands and wildlife director at the Idaho Conservation League, said Idaho’s public lands would lose significant protections if ownership were to change, citing the Lava Ridge Wind Project as an example.

Robison noted the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) implemented significant changes to the project, including cutting the project’s footprint in half, reducing wind turbine size and increasing the setback from culturally significant areas like the Minidoka National Historic Site, changes enacted to comply with concerns voiced by the public as well as BLM’s own regulations.