I am both a business entrepreneur and conservationist, and not at all opposed to development in general. But I have to say as a person who has hunted and observed the back corners of the Cove Ranch for blue grouse over the years, I admire the stand the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is taking on this development.
I have watched that northwest lek on the property for hours, seeing the dance of more than 40 sage grouse, and I have seen the back slopes covered in elk. This is way too special a place to have overrun with lawnmowers, house cats and mini-bikes.
While I am not a developer, I have looked at the economics of that property carefully, and it appears that the owners could get a reasonable return working with the low biodiversity agricultural land closer to the road, leaving the east end of the property to its natural function. If the owners are as green as they claim to be, they will chose this option.
If not, it is appropriate that Fish and Game and county officials act. The whole 6,000-acre hillside area of the cove belongs to all of us as public land and is a critical migration and mating corridor. It is reasonable and necessary that those natural values are part of planning decisions on adjacent private lands. We all live in Idaho for precisely these natural values, and we need to defend them.
It takes plenty of courage to stand up for ecosystem function over development in this state, and we all are heartened by the resolve of those who do.
Charles Conn
Ketchum
