Thursday, April 15, 2004
By Chuck Oxley, Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho — An unusual alliance of ranchers, politicians, and environmentalists rolled out a plan on Tuesday to preserve a half-million acres of wilderness in southwest Idaho's spectacular high desert.

The Owyhee Initiative would set aside 511,000 acres in six separate parcels for protection by Congress. The land straddling about 390 miles of the Owyhee, Bruneau, and Jarbidge rivers is home to falcons, eagles, bighorn sheep, antelope, cougars, and the rare redband trout.

Chad Gibson, a rancher with the Owyhee Cattlemen's Association and co-chairman of the 10 groups working on the plan, said at a news conference that the bulk of the work is done.

Sen. Mike Crapo, who has been encouraging the various sides, said Congress could have legislation to act on by summer.

The movement to preserve the southwest corner of Idaho started in earnest in 2000, when environmentalists began pressing in the waning days of the Clinton administration for a 2.4 million-acre national monument.

"That was a different time, a different place," said Idaho Rivers United Director Bill Sedivy. "With the collaborative process such as it is, what we've gotten is protection for the best of the best."

The plan includes closing about 115 miles of remote roads.

The region has remained largely untouched since the days of the Old West because access was either by primitive roads, on foot, or horseback. But a recent population explosion in the region, along with proliferation of all-terrain-vehicles, have put visitors farther into the realm.

About 45 percent of the proposed acreage is flat, sage-covered plateau. Another 43 percent is rugged hill country, while the remaining 12 percent is steep canyonlands.

Humans have lived in the area for 15,000 years, including the Shoshone and Paiute tribes. In 1818, white trappers accompanied by several Hawaiians arrived. The Hawaiians disappeared as they were exploring a river that was later named the "Owyhee," the phonetic spelling for Hawaii at the time.

Source: Associated Press