Progress and Challenges in the Idaho Panhandle Public Lands Initiative

By: Brad Smith, ICL Conservation Director

The Idaho Panhandle Public Lands Initiative (IPPLI) continues to bring together a wide range of interests—conservation groups, timber industry representatives, recreationists, hunters, local residents, and others—to resolve wilderness and access issues in North Idaho. The goal of these meetings is to explore whether a shared proposal for federal legislation can be crafted for Bonner and Boundary counties. Over the summer and fall, the Initiative shifted into smaller subcommittee meetings focused on particularly complex landscapes where durable agreement will be essential.

In July, a subcommittee met in Clark Fork to discuss the Scotchman Peaks and Lightning Creek drainage. Conservation representatives shared their willingness to make modest changes to the size of the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness in response to concerns about the potential for wildfire near the community of Clark Fork and historic logging operations in Savage Creek, while sportsmen favored a smaller wilderness proposal consisting primarily of the lands above the timberline. Various proposals to re-establish open motorized access to historic logging roads were also discussed, but the two sides remain far apart. The Scotchman Peaks–Lightning Creek landscape continues to be the most challenging area for finding consensus.

In contrast, a recent meeting of the Selkirks Subcommittee was more productive. While differences remain—including how to treat areas like West Fork Lake, Trout and Pyramid Lakes, and Two Mouth Lakes—a majority of participants expressed support for a wilderness designation encompassing Long Canyon and Parker Creek. There was also broad support for establishing a recreation area along the Selkirk Crest that would be managed like wilderness except that over-snow vehicle access would be allowed in winter. The Selkirks Subcommittee agreed to meet again in January to continue working toward consensus for this landscape.

Taken together, these conversations reflect both the complexity of the issues and the commitment of participants to keep working. Although consensus has not yet been reached, the Initiative is still attempting to reach consensus on a proposal for federal legislation, and ICL will remain engaged in helping the group develop thoughtful, landscape-specific agreements that support wildlife habitat, maintain access, and protect some of North Idaho’s last remaining wildlands.

Please visit the IPPLI website for more detailed information about the group’s recent meetings.