Opinion by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho)
Opportunities to transform land use policies to benefit Idaho farmers and ranchers are not just on the horizon—they are within reach. With Republican control of both chambers of Congress and President Trump back in the White House, we are well-positioned to reverse overreaching policies that have held back American ranchers from doing what we do best—feeding America and the world.
Our federal land agencies could learn a great deal from ranchers’ approach to land management. Success in this arena does not come from bureaucratic mandates or politically-motivated decisions; it requires patience, perseverance, and respect—values that are deeply rooted in our Western way of life. This is particularly important when it comes to our public lands, which must be managed with care and a long-term vision.
Now, Congress has an opportunity to dismantle harmful policies like the Biden administration’s “Green New Deal,” abuses of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Bureau of Land Management’s so-called “Conservation Rule.” These initiatives are not grounded in science or an understanding of the significant conservation benefits that multiple use management provides.
The Lava Ridge Wind Project in southern Idaho was a prime example of how this extreme ideology disregards rural America and, when left unchecked, could completely undermine multiple use. I explained to the Biden administration time and again that this disastrous project would have impacted the Minidoka Historic Site, decimated grazing and other uses, and cut off access to public land.
Fortunately, thanks to President Trump, we can refer to Lava Ridge in the past tense. It was my honor to personally bring this issue up to the president and work with his administration to write an executive order to stop Lava Ridge on day one.
However, the threats to erode multiple use on our public lands did not begin or end with Lava Ridge. We must use this historic opportunity to bring land management back to the local level. Those who depend on our natural resources have the best understanding of how our land, water, and wildlife should be managed. This is especially apparent in Idaho’s history of properly managing species conservation.
While the ESA has been a longstanding source of frustration and failure, Idaho is proof that keeping wildlife management in the hands of local leaders is the best approach for long-term success. D.C. bureaucrats refused to recognize that wolf populations had met targets for delisting, but after Congressional action, state management of wolves has far surpassed recovery goals. Congress has similarly stopped the ESA from putting states in a stranglehold when managing the Greater sage-grouse by preventing the species from being listed. The results speak for themselves. By keeping sage-grouse management in state hands, populations and lek attendance have surged in Idaho.
This Congress, my colleagues and I are working to make the same difference for grizzly bears in the Northwest. Several grizzly populations in Yellowstone and throughout the region have recovered beyond anyone’s original expectations. Unfortunately, despite repeated delisting attempts, activist litigants have kept grizzlies under federal management. This has led to increased livestock depredation, run-ins with humans, and fatalities on all sides. It is plainly evident, as it was with the gray wolf, that it’s time for the grizzly bear to be delisted.
We need to stop the ESA from being a tool for radical environmental groups to take land out of production, undermining decades of successful local management practices. We must reform the ESA to support science-based solutions, promote collaboration, and respect the rights of landowners who have stewarded these lands for generations. We don’t need to shut down productivity. We need to embrace what ranchers have known all along: productive lands are healthy lands.
Conservation and multiple use are not in conflict; in fact, they enhance each other. We must put tools like responsible grazing – which keeps our lands healthy and productive – back in the hands of our local land managers. As we work to rein in the disastrous overreach of the past four years, I am fighting to prioritize local input and leadership on decisions that will yield real, positive results for Idaho land users. With the new Congress and the Trump administration, we have numerous opportunities to achieve these goals. I’m proud to lead this charge for the people of Idaho.
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