Boise, ID — On Saturday, March 22, 2024, residents from various parts of Idaho gathered at the State Capitol for a rally focused on public lands. The event was organized by advocacy groups promoting continued public ownership and access to these lands.
According to the organizers, the rally aimed to raise awareness among state leaders about the importance of maintaining public access and preventing the privatization of Idaho’s approximately 32 million acres of public lands.
Outdoor recreation in Idaho supported over 37,000 jobs and contributed an estimated $3.96 billion to the state’s economy in 2023, based on publicly available economic data. Topics discussed at the event included forest health, wildfire risk, development pressures, and challenges related to funding and staffing for land management.
Speakers at the event included individuals affiliated with conservation organizations, who expressed concern about potential changes in land policy and emphasized the role public lands play in the state’s economy and way of life.
