Idaho Land Use Summit a Success

More than 170 people from across Idaho, interested in the conservation of rural quality of life and wildlife resources in balance with development and growth, attended the Idaho Land Use Summit in September in Nampa. They included ranchers, county commissioners, realtors, hunters, anglers, state legislators, and representatives from state and federal agencies, city governments, land trusts, American Indian tribes, Boise State University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, private businesses, soil conservation districts and the media. Together they represented more than 30 of Idaho's 44 counties. Speakers talked about how the West is changing and about what causes those changes. They gave real-world examples of how areas across the West are working to direct those changes to preserve the rural quality of life, wildlife habitat and resource-based communities. Summit attendees learned about activities in New Mexico, Colorado and Montana and how these might help them find solutions to conditions and changes in Idaho. Panels on the Traditional vs. the New West and the role of government in land use led to discussions among panelists and attendees related to: ¥ Proposition 2-an initiative on the November ballot that would require government to compensate landowners for any reduction in the value of their land resulting from ordinances, zoning or planning. ¥ The need for more funding to compensate landowners for the public trust or ecological services they provide on their lands, such clean water, wildlife habitat and public access. ¥ County governments' need for technical, legal and comprehensive planning assistance to help them direct growth and development-most rural counties are out-manned and out-gunned when approached by developers. ¥ The need to improve networks and cooperation among those who seek to maintain the rural quality of life in Idaho. At the end of the Summit, attendees were asked to list the rural qualities of life they wanted to preserve, and the priority of immediate and long-term strategies necessary to maintain those qualities. The Summit was concluded by attendees identifying the rural qualities of life they wanted to promote and the conservation of and the priority of immediate and long-term strategies they felt are necessary to maintain these qualities of life. For information on the Summit program, speakers, presentations and products of the Summit; please visit the Summit website: http://www.ictws.org/summit.html .