States findings of the Legislature and supports retention of public lands in Idaho.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE SENATE SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 111 BY RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE A JOINT MEMORIAL1 TO THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES IN CON-2 GRESS ASSEMBLED AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE3 STATE OF IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.4 We, your Memorialists, the Senate and the House of Representatives5 of the State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the6 Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that:7 WHEREAS, Idaho's public lands contain unique landscapes, including the8 timberlands of north Idaho, the canyon rivers of central Idaho, the range-9 lands that provide livestock forage across southern Idaho, and the habitat10 that provides hunting and angling opportunities across the state for all11 Idahoans; and12 WHEREAS, public lands, and access to those lands, are a cornerstone of13 Idaho's identity, and once sold these lands will be lost forever; and14 WHEREAS, these lands are more than empty spaces, they offer a level of15 freedom that defines what it means to be an Idahoan and our way of life; and16 WHEREAS, the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution preserves and17 protects U.S. citizens' right to bear arms, and Idahoans frequently exercise18 this right on public lands within the state as those lands provide the free-19 dom and space to do so; and20 WHEREAS, section 23, article I of the Idaho Constitution guarantees the21 right to hunt, fish, and trap, including by the use of traditional methods,22 thereby recognizing such right as a valued part of Idaho's heritage that23 shall forever be preserved for the people and ensuring that the right is pro-24 tected and preserved through any law, rule, or proclamation; and25 WHEREAS, our public lands remain a shared resource, accessible to all26 Idahoans, not just the wealthy or well-connected; and27 WHEREAS, public lands serve as lifelines for Idaho's small businesses,28 communities, and families; and29 WHEREAS, the vital contributions of the grazing, timber, mining, and30 outdoor recreation industries, which collectively generate more than $1531 billion annually for Idaho's economy, must be safeguarded; and32 WHEREAS, selling or transferring these lands would not only jeopardize33 access and tradition, but also place unsustainable and unpredictable finan-34 cial burdens on states, local governments, and Idaho's taxpayers; and35 WHEREAS, shared stewardship and collaborative land management prac-36 tices that include local, state, federal, and tribal governments keep public37 lands in public hands while giving the State of Idaho and local stakeholders38 more input and decision-making power for critical public land management39 decisions; and40 WHEREAS, removing the threat of mass disposal of public lands will allow41 decision makers and stakeholders to focus on solutions for improved manage-42

2 ment, increased funding for counties with public lands, wildfire response,1 shared stewardship agreements, and mutually beneficial land exchanges; and2 WHEREAS, the commitment to keeping public lands public reflects a prin-3 cipled, conservative approach to stewardship and fiscal responsibility.4 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular5 Session of the Sixty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of6 Representatives concurring therein, that the Legislature commends the Idaho7 congressional delegation for opposing efforts to sell or transfer Idaho's8 cherished public lands.9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages the Idaho con-10 gressional delegation to continue fighting for Idahoans by, among other re-11 lated activities, introducing or cosponsoring legislation such as the Pub-12 lic Lands in Public Hands Act.13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate be, and she is14 hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this Memorial to the15 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of16 Congress and to the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho17 in the Congress of the United States.18