Erik Schultz's new stepchild is 12,009 feet tall and weighs an unfathomable number of tons.
As part of the Idaho Conservation League's "Adopt-a-Roadless-Area Program," Schultz adopted the Pioneer Mountains, which will be very near his new home along the East Fork of the Big Wood River.
"I'm looking forward to getting in there, jumping on a horse and exploring some of that dramatic country," Schultz said.
The Idaho Conservation League announced the program Wednesday, June 1. The object is not only to encourage people to learn about the national forests in their backyards, but also to recruit Idahoans to advocate for "every piece of roadless land in the state of Idaho," said Jonathan Oppenheimer, a conservation associate with ICL.
The Bush administration announced a plan May 5 that repealed a President Bill Clinton-era roadless protection plan. The new direction gives states more authority in managing the nation's 58.5 million acres of road-free lands. There are 9.3 million acres of road-free lands in Idaho.
Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said the new rules provide an opportunity for local communities to get involved. He said the new rules are an improvement over the Clinton administration's protections, which were widely lauded by Americans who spoke at public hearings in 1999 but bemoaned by the West's predominately conservative politicians.
But Schultz disagreed with his governor.
"Obviously I'm disappointed that the administration gutted the roadless rule, but this is a format to get citizens involved," he said.
He called the Pioneer Mountains "the forgotten stepchild during the bulabaloo over wilderness protection for the White Clouds."
Oppenheimer said that more than 20 road-free areas in Idaho have been informally adopted so far. "We'll easily surpass our minimum of five per forest," he said.
"With more than 9 million acres of pristine roadless forests in our state, it's only natural that some areas might not receive the care and attention they deserve," Oppenheimer said. "The Adopt-a-Roadless-Area Program encourages Idahoans to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, and remind themselves why Idaho is such a special place to live."
Idaho has more road-free land than any other state outside Alaska. According to a report written last year by Trout Unlimited, the areas provide clean water, wildlife habitat and are very important pieces of the state's ecological puzzle.
The Bush plan immediately opens 85 percent of Idaho's road-free areas to potential development, according to ICL. The other 15 percent are contained inside the borders of Wilderness Study Areas, which are managed as de-facto wilderness until the designation changes.
Although he has not adopted a road-free area yet, a Ketchum businessman said this week that he is very supportive of the new program.
"I think we have to maintain the wild areas we have left," said Backwoods Mountain Sports co-owner Andy Munter. "Having citizen involvement is the best way to do that."
According to Munter, it is up to citizens to keep tabs on their public lands.
"I feel very lucky living here, where there aren't too many threats with logging and mining," he said.
But there are other places in Idaho he is concerned about.
The South Fork of the Salmon River drainage, which includes the Secesh River, the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River and Johnson Creek, as well as the hamlet of Yellow Pine, is threatened by mining and logging on an ongoing basis, he said.
Munter acknowledged that his business depends on protecting Idaho's wild resources.
"The Adopt-a-Roadless-Area Program will help to do just that."
Erik Schultz is participating in the Idaho Conservation League's Adopt-a-Roadless-Area Program by adopting the Pioneer Mountains, east of the Wood River Valley. "Pristine areas like the Pioneers are what drew me here," Schultz said. He is pictured at Phyllis Lake in the White Cloud Mountains. Courtesy photo
