ID HJM008

Idaho contains approximately 53.5 million acres, including 5,008,317 acres designated as Wilderness Areas and 1,797,456 acres designated as Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs).

The BLM's 1991 recommendation called for Congress to designate 972,239 acres as wilderness and release 825,217 acres for other multiple uses; over 500,000 acres of nonsuitable WSAs remain in legal limbo despite Congressional removals in 2009 and 2015.

The Legislature asserts that uncertainty about land use is causing federal litigation, wasting forest assets, reducing forest road investments, and harming agriculture, timber harvesting, and Idaho communities economically dependent on these activities.

The Legislature supports scientific adaptive management implementing the multiple-use concept under the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 to ensure forest health and sustainability on federal forests in Idaho.

Congress is strongly urged to enact legislation releasing all remaining nonsuitable wilderness study areas and implementing multiple-use management consistent with federal forest management mandates.