[Iesaf_palouse] Idaho Farm Ranch and Forest Protection Act

[Mark Kimsey]

Dear All,

Last night we discussed the proposed "Idaho Farm Ranch and Forest
Protection Act" being debated in the Idaho Legislature.  This item will
be discussed within SAF to determine if we should support this effort. 
Please find attached a copy of this proposed Act.  If you have any
thoughts you would like to share on this issue, please forward them to
me, and I will bring them up at our next Executive meeting.  Below are
Ron Mahoney's comments on our discussion at last night's meeting.

Ron Mahoney ~ Please feel free to share my response with others.
 

"At first I was concerned because it looked like ANYONE could claim the
tax credit by just saying they are staying in forestry or agriculture,
getting a subdivision appraisal on their land, then making big bucks.
And, I couldn't see how or why we could/should afford this in Idaho.
 
After reading the bill carefully, it appears that a landowner must do a
formal conservation easement with one of the appropriate institutions
that manage these easements....land trust, nature conservancy etc.  In
that regard, this bill will encourage many more landowners to consider
such easements, protect their right and ability to continue with
forestry and agriculture practices, and perhaps keep more land in these
ownerships, thus continuing the benefits all us wildlife lovers, whether
we shoot or catch them, or just want to see them (the critters) and also
the benefit of seeing the landscape in more traditional uses and not all
covered with houses and other development.
 
So, I highly recommend that SAF affirm their support for this bill.  It
has also been affirmed by Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Forest Owners
Association, The Nature Conservancy, Society of American Foresters,
National Wild Turkey Federation and others.  Noticeably, I don't think
any of the "no touch, no use" environmental organizations have supported
this bill, and I don't know if they oppose it.  Likely they do oppose it
because of the language that forestry and agriculture nurture and
sustain wildlife populations, and the language about rights to keep
practicing farming and logging etc."
 



Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Kimsey
Intermountain Forest Tree Nutrition Cooperative
Department Forest Resources
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1133
Phone: 208.885.7520
Mobile: 509.330.0640
Fax: 208.885.7442
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Idaho Farm Ranch and Forest	Protection Act.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 58368 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/iesaf_palouse/attachments/20070206/6289d5fa/attachment-0001.doc