Idaho Conservation League
Encyclopedia
The Idaho Conservation League (ICL) is a non-profit organization devoted to protecting Idaho’s environment. “The ICL preserves Idaho's clean water, wilderness and quality of life through citizen action, public education, and professional advocacy.” As a 501C3 all donations are tax refundable and ICL relies on the support of foundations and supportive individuals for funding. The Idaho Conservation League devotes the majority of its funding to conservation efforts. 80% of ICL’s budget goes directly to programs aimed at protecting clean water, clean air, and Idaho’s wild landscapes.
and they have engaged in every legislative session since.
Several of their main achievements since then can be seen below.
pollution. In Southwest Idaho, the Boise River is the primary source of drinking water for thousands of people and ICL has worked to protect this water source from potential mining contamination. To protect the Boise River, ICL is appealing a decision made by the Forest Service to allow a mining company to begin exploration in the Boise National Forest near the river's headwaters. In East Idaho ICL worked with Monsanto, a phosphate mining company, to encourage Idaho to adopt stricter mercury regulation. In North Idaho, the Idaho Conservation League has worked to clean up residual mining pollution in Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Other threats from mining that ICL has worked to resolve are mercury
contamination and acid mine drainage
. “It was ICL that succeeded in getting rules enacted that reduced the discharge of mercury from gold mines in the state of Nevada (a 50-percent decrease in airborne emissions) that poisoned and are still poisoning Idaho lakes and streams.”
In addition to protecting against mining contamination, Idaho Conservation League works to protect Idaho’s ground water from hydraulic fracturing
, otherwise known as “fracking,” a process used in natural gas extraction. When a natural gas company began exploration in western Idaho in 2011, ICL asked the Idaho oil and Gas Conservation Commission to prohibit carcinogenic chemicals and require companies to provide a bond protecting Idaho communities in the case of a fracking emergency. ICL has one main goal in regards to fracking, that "Idaho has rules protective of the people's groundwater
" that set limitations on the use of hazardous substances.
Idaho Conservation League believes that there should be a balance when it comes to resource extraction that allows for both economic development and resource protection, to ensure that the health of Idaho families and Idaho’s clean water is not jeopardized.
Idaho Conservation League also works all across Idaho to protect the state’s wild landscapes.
In South Idaho, ICL is working to protect China Mountain from a new wind farm development. Although ICL supports renewable energies including wind and solar generation because they protect Idaho's clean air, China Mountain is home to an abundance of wildlife species including elk and sage grouse. ICL believes that new wind projects should not jeopardize intact wilderness lands or wildlife habitat and advocate for new projects to be places on lands already converted to human uses such as agricultural fields.
In North-Central Idaho, ICL is working with a variety of stakeholders as part of the Clearwater Basin Collaborative (CBC). The CBC “was established in 2008 to bring together representatives from business, conservation, government and tribal interests to resolve land management conflicts in the Clearwater Basin.” The group is currently working on an agreement that will protect the landscape while also allowing for recreation, rural economic development, and forest health and management.
In Central Idaho, Idaho Conservation League is currently leading the effort to establish the Boulder White Clouds Wilderness by supporting the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA). This bill, sponsored by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson (R)., has been under construction for several years and has been introduced to congress during each of Simpson's terms. The bill, once approved, would provide for “voluntary retirement of grazing allotments, grants for local community development, preservation of some off-road vehicle routes, and small land conveyances for local parks and other public works.”
History
What is now the Idaho Conservation League originally began as a series of casual lunches where people could meet to discuss environmental issues. After discussions about how Idaho needed an environmental legislative lobby group, three individuals – Ken Cameron, Ken Robinson, and Tom Davis – founded the Idaho Conservation League and began putting together a diverse board of stakeholders. The ICL was founded in 1973 as a voice for conservation at the Idaho StatehouseIdaho Legislature
The Idaho Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Idaho. It consists of the upper Idaho Senate and the lower Idaho House of Representatives. The Idaho Senate contains 35 Senators, who are elected from 35 districts...
and they have engaged in every legislative session since.
Several of their main achievements since then can be seen below.
- 1970s - Preservation of the 2.3 million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return WildernessFrank Church-River of No Return WildernessThe Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness Area is a protected wilderness area in Idaho. It was created in 1980 by the United States Congress as the River of No Return Wilderness Area, and renamed in 1984 as the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area in honor of U.S...
- 1980s – Helped pass the Idaho Clean Lakes and Water Quality Act
- 1990s – Helped revise the Idaho Forest Practices Act
- 2000s - Helped pass the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Bill, the first wilderness designation in Idaho in 29 years.
Issues
The Idaho Conservation League works to protect Idaho’s clean water, clean air, signature wildlife, and healthy landscapes.Water
One of the main issues that the Idaho Conservation League focuses on is protecting water quality; ICL has worked to protect watersheds all over the state from miningMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
pollution. In Southwest Idaho, the Boise River is the primary source of drinking water for thousands of people and ICL has worked to protect this water source from potential mining contamination. To protect the Boise River, ICL is appealing a decision made by the Forest Service to allow a mining company to begin exploration in the Boise National Forest near the river's headwaters. In East Idaho ICL worked with Monsanto, a phosphate mining company, to encourage Idaho to adopt stricter mercury regulation. In North Idaho, the Idaho Conservation League has worked to clean up residual mining pollution in Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Other threats from mining that ICL has worked to resolve are mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
contamination and acid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage , or acid rock drainage , refers to the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. However, other areas where the earth has been disturbed may also contribute acid rock drainage to the environment...
. “It was ICL that succeeded in getting rules enacted that reduced the discharge of mercury from gold mines in the state of Nevada (a 50-percent decrease in airborne emissions) that poisoned and are still poisoning Idaho lakes and streams.”
In addition to protecting against mining contamination, Idaho Conservation League works to protect Idaho’s ground water from hydraulic fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing
Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of utilizing pressurized water, or some other liquid, to fracture rock layers and release petroleum, natural gas, or other...
, otherwise known as “fracking,” a process used in natural gas extraction. When a natural gas company began exploration in western Idaho in 2011, ICL asked the Idaho oil and Gas Conservation Commission to prohibit carcinogenic chemicals and require companies to provide a bond protecting Idaho communities in the case of a fracking emergency. ICL has one main goal in regards to fracking, that "Idaho has rules protective of the people's groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
" that set limitations on the use of hazardous substances.
Idaho Conservation League believes that there should be a balance when it comes to resource extraction that allows for both economic development and resource protection, to ensure that the health of Idaho families and Idaho’s clean water is not jeopardized.
Wild Landscapes
One of Idaho Conservation League’s most recent successes was the protection of the Owyhee Wilderness in Southwest Idaho as part of the Owyhee Initiative. The Owyhee Wilderness, which was signed into law in 2009, is the first wilderness area to be designated in Idaho since the early 1980s. This designation will ensure that“517,000 acres of Wilderness and over 316 miles of rivers as Wild and Scenic Rivers will be protected in perpetuity for future generations,” and public accessibility to these areas will increase from the creation of seven new public right of ways.Idaho Conservation League also works all across Idaho to protect the state’s wild landscapes.
In South Idaho, ICL is working to protect China Mountain from a new wind farm development. Although ICL supports renewable energies including wind and solar generation because they protect Idaho's clean air, China Mountain is home to an abundance of wildlife species including elk and sage grouse. ICL believes that new wind projects should not jeopardize intact wilderness lands or wildlife habitat and advocate for new projects to be places on lands already converted to human uses such as agricultural fields.
In North-Central Idaho, ICL is working with a variety of stakeholders as part of the Clearwater Basin Collaborative (CBC). The CBC “was established in 2008 to bring together representatives from business, conservation, government and tribal interests to resolve land management conflicts in the Clearwater Basin.” The group is currently working on an agreement that will protect the landscape while also allowing for recreation, rural economic development, and forest health and management.
In Central Idaho, Idaho Conservation League is currently leading the effort to establish the Boulder White Clouds Wilderness by supporting the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA). This bill, sponsored by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson (R)., has been under construction for several years and has been introduced to congress during each of Simpson's terms. The bill, once approved, would provide for “voluntary retirement of grazing allotments, grants for local community development, preservation of some off-road vehicle routes, and small land conveyances for local parks and other public works.”