Friends of Idaho Watersheds Project

Thanks to an observant member for the following web site tip

Readers with web access should consider visiting the Bake Young Realty
web site advertisement carrying information about the 4400 acre Gordon
King Ranch sale in Owyhee County (the URL is: http://byr.com/kr/kr.html).
The very first photograph in the ad shows a truly damaged and
non-functioning creek with photogenic cows in
attendance. This creek (which is not identified) shows damaged riparian
conditions (cutbanks, no creek access to the floodplain, active
erosion, innappropriate vegetative composition) typical of almost all
the riparian areas on the public lands permitted for use to the King
Ranch.

Dare we suggest that our message about livestock impacts on riparian
areas appears to mean nothing to the owners, the Real Estate Company,
or potential buyers?

As IWP supporters know, this ranch which is located not far from
Oreana, Idaho in Owyhee County is the largest permittee on the Castle
Creek allotment located on 260,000 acres of public lands which include
portions of Castle Creek, South Fork Castle Creek, Poison Creek,
Shoefly Creek, Battle Creek, Rock Creek, Pixley Creek, Birch Creek, and
Magpie Creek all but small segments of which have been identified by
the BLM as being in degraded condition due to decades of livestock
abuse.

The December 1997 BLM Castle Creek allotment management decision which
was forced from the agency by federal court order as a result of IWP
and CIHD's lawsuit will result in a minimum 23% reduction this year in
permitted use for the King Ranch on public lands (and perhaps more, if
the IWP appeal of that decision is successful). Note that nowhere in
the web site ad is the reduction in permitted livestock use or the
litigation surrounding this historically mismanaged portion of our
public lands mentioned. Is this truth in advertising ?! Perhaps the
agency also missed a chance to discuss the 11 cents per acre per year
in property taxes Mr. King currently pays for dryland acreage!

For a modest $2,400,000, you, too, can be a part of a wonderful
historic lifestyle opportunity (special clothing is required for full
appreciation of the experience !), but you must act soon before this
colorful part of western Americana is driven forever from the land!