The federal government controls 63% of the land in Idaho. We have become serfs in a land blessed with natural resources. We depend on the federal government for 35% of our state budget. We have one of the highest state income taxes in the region to make up for the shortfall of not having a tax base from these lands.
Besides the economic impact, we are seeing more restrictions on public access and usage of our lands. Burned timber is not allowed to be harvested, and dying forests are becoming a worsening threat for future fires.
We can manage our resources to provide good paying jobs for Idaho while maintaining environmentally responsible stewardship.