If you are like most Idahoans, your list of what you like best about our state includes open space, abundant wildlife, our rural heritage, and clean rivers, streams and lakes. Because we have a large amount of public lands, many assume these virtues are permanent parts of our future.

But, in reality, all of these things depend to a surprising degree upon the future of the working farms, ranches and forests, which are often tied closely to public lands. As Idaho’s population grows rapidly, these working landscapes are increasingly at risk -and with them, all of those things that we hold dear about Idaho.

As pressures to develop continue to grow, many landowners are concerned they can’t afford to keep their lands in agriculture and forestry. Farmers, ranchers and forest owners -the stewards of our private lands -need incentives to keep their lands as open space and in food and natural fiber production.

As a long-term rancher, that’s why I’m delighted to be part of a historic coalition of agricultural, forestry, sporting, and conservation groups that is seeking to pass legislation that provides incentives for land stewards who protect their land from development and keep it in production. Called the Idaho Ranch, Farm and Forest Protection Act, it offers a voluntary, non-regulatory way to help keep rural landowners on the land. For two years, this goal has strongly united diverse groups often at odds over state policy.

Under the proposal, landowners would agree not to develop land in exchange for a state income tax credit. The landowner could use the tax credit to offset personal income taxes or receive a tax refund. This incentive will protect private property rights. But, in order to qualify for the incentives, important public values must also be protected. Everyone wins.

The time to act is now. More people want to call Idaho home, and unplanned growth continues to threaten what we most value.

I hope you will join me and this broad coalition in supporting the passage of the Idaho Ranch, Farm and Forest Protection Act.

To learn more go to www.IdahoWorkingLands.com. Please contact your legislators at (800) 626-0471, and urge them to support House Bill 467.

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS HOUSE BILL 467

Forest Capital Partners

Idaho Bird Hunters Association

Idaho Cattle Association

Idaho Conservation League

Idaho Farm Bureau

Idaho Fish and Game Commission

Idaho Forest Owners Association

Idaho Parks Foundation

Idaho Smart Growth

Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus Advisory Council

Idaho Wildlife Federation

Idaho Wool Growers Association

Intermountain Forest Association

Land Trusts of Idaho (Including the Southern Idaho Land Trust)

Potlatch Corporation

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Spatial Interest, LLC

Sportsmen for Fish Wildlife

The Nature Conservancy

The Trust for Public Lands

2/15/08

Laird Noh is a former state legislator from Kimberly, who holds the longest tenure in the Idaho Legislature. He served as a senator for 24 years and headed the Senate Resources and Environment Committee for 22 years. The Noh family has owned and operated a sheep-ranching enterprise on private and public lands in Twin Falls and Cassia counties since 1910.