This news release was sent out today
announcing IWP's filing for over 12,000 acres of grazing leases formerly held by several
of the richest people in Idaho and the U.S.A.
NEWS RELEASE
Hailey, August 6, 1999
IDAHO WATERSHEDS PROJECT APPLIES FOR 12,367 ACRES OF SCHOOL ENDOWMENT LAND LEASES
Idaho Watersheds Project (IWP) announced today it has filed ten application for 12,367 acres of Idaho school endowment land grazing leases. This increases the total grazing lease acreage applied for by IWP in 1999 to over 20,000 acres.
These ten lease applications are for grazing leases which were invalidated by the Idaho Supreme Court on April 2, 1999 when it found that the Idaho Land Board had unconstitutionally given a preference to ranchers in denying Idaho Watersheds Project the opportunity to bid on these leases in 1995 and 1996.
The ten leases include ones held by some of the wealthiest public land ranchers in Idaho. Five of the ten leases were held by billionaire J.R. Simplot of Boise, two by John and Fred Faulkner of Gooding, one by L.C. Skaggs of Declo , one by Mary Hewlett Jaffe of Portland,and one by Brad Little of Emmett.
Five of the leases are located in Owyhee County, two in Camas County, one in Custer County, one in Ada County, and one in Blaine County. All of the leases have significant riparian areas located on them with some having habitat for threatened species: chinook salmon and steelhead (Custer County), bull trout (Camas County), and redband trout (Owyhee County).
In compliance with the April Idaho Supreme Court ruling, if two or more applications are received for these leases, an auction will be held to raise funds for the Idaho School Endowment Fund and to help determine which applicant will receive the ten year leases.
Jon Marvel, President of Idaho Watersheds Project stated: "IWP looks forward to competing at auction for these leases. Considering the financial capability of the former leaseholders, IWP expects the auctions for these leases to raise significant sums for the school children of Idaho as Idaho's founders intended ."