Turnabout: Idaho senators support Snake River protection bill
Larry Craig said to drop his opposition to protecting the Snake River in Wyoming-
Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, and especially idaho Senator Larry Craig, have dropped their opposition to the bill by Wyoming’s two U. S. senators to protect the Snake River and its headwaters tributaries as parts of the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
The Snake River rises in Wyoming, but runs through Idaho where much of it is diverted for irrigation.
The Snake River protection plan has advanced, but over the wishes of Idaho’s Larry Craig (who will be retired in a couple months, but could yet cause problems in the U.S. Senate).
Crapo too has opposed the protection of the Snake River. One reason for the change may be Crapo’s desire to advance his “Owyhee Initiative” in Idaho, which would designae a number of canyon areas as Wilderness and give preferments and advantages to Owyhee area ranchers. Both the Snake River Bill and the Owyhee Initiative are expected to be in a massive omnibus public land bill to be taken up in the likely “lame duck” session of Congress after the Nov. 4 election.
Story in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. Idaho Senators Now Support Snake River bill. By Noah Brenner

Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He has been a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and also its President. For many years he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Recent Posts
- Key Impacts of Livestock Production (not just grazing) Upon the Land. June 21, 2022
- Climate Not Fuels Drive Large Blazes June 21, 2022
- Wolves in the West are collateral damage of human selfishness June 16, 2022
- Targeted Grazing–The Latest Magical Solution To Improve Rangeland Health June 16, 2022
- A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived? June 9, 2022
Recent Comments
- John Glowa on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Ida Lupine on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Ida Lupine on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- John Glowa on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Ida Lupine on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Ida Lupine on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Maximilian S Werner on Wolves in the West are collateral damage of human selfishness
- Rich on Wolves in the West are collateral damage of human selfishness
- Mark L on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Mark L on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Mark L on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- John Glowa on A White Mountain National Park? Has its time arrived?
- Ida Lupine on Wolves in the West are collateral damage of human selfishness
- Rich on Wolves in the West are collateral damage of human selfishness
- Chris Zinda on Key Impacts of Livestock Production (not just grazing) Upon the Land.