2024 Idaho Legislative News
WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE RECAP VIDEOS - BOTTOM OF PAGE
HO468 - Rangeland Improvement
Last Action: Passed
Summary: Adds to existing law to establish the Rangeland Improvement Act. 90% of bill is good regarding state rangeland improvements, but bill makes confusion regarding wildlife jurisdiction between ISDA and IDFG.
IWF’s Stance: Neutral
S1345: Private Property, Conservation Offiers
Last Action: Reffered to Senate Judiciary Rules Committee.
Summary: Adds to existing law to prohibit entry onto private property by law enforcement and conservation officers unless certain conditions are met. Would eliminate the "open field" doctrine, preventing COs from entering property to check hunters for licenses or other potential wildlife violations, a key allowance for policing wildlife crimes.
IWF’s Stance: STRONG OPPOSE
H0469: Muzzeloaders
Last Action: Dead
Summary: Adds to existing law to provide that the Department of Fish and Game shall not adopt or enforce any rule that makes it unlawful to use 209 primers, pelletized powder, or sabots in a muzzleloader-only season. Bill would mandate IDFG to allow sobets, 209 primers, and pelletized powder for muzzleoader seasons. This essentially turns 90 yard weapons into 200 yard weapons. The even bigger concern is the language that says IDFG will have no power to do anything BUT allow these things. That is a very slippery slope with wildlife management occurring in the legislature, outside the science based management agency.
IWF’s Stance: STRONG OPPOSE
H0484: Big Game Season Setting
Last Action: Referred to House Resources and Conservation Committee
Summary: Amends existing law to provide for annual season setting and to provide for a certain process. This bill mandates big game season setting every year, as opposed to the two year season setting structure currently in place. This is an unnecessary use of sportsman's dollars as IDFG already holds the ability to adjust regulations on the fly based on harvest, and is yet another encroachment on the autonomy of the IDFG Commission and the continues to erode the North American Model of WiIdlife Conservation in Idaho.
IWF’s Stance: STRONG OPPOSE
H0592: Grizzly & Wolf Depredation (The Bill Formerly Known As HO485)
Last Action: Passed
Summary: Adds to existing law to provide for compensation for depredation of livestock by grizzly bear and wolves. Bill provides general funding for losses to grizz and wolves, and also provides funding for conflict prevention (a first of its kind idea for Idaho).
IWF’s Stance: STRONG SUPPORT
H0591: Domestic Cervid Farm Fencing (The bill formerly known as HO536)
Last Action: To Gov. Little’s desk
Summary: Adds to existing law to provide for fencing when under quarantine, to provide for hunting or slaughter during quarantine, and to provide for the lifting of quarantine. Severely weakens CWD regs for domestic cervid farms when we should be strengthening them.
IWF’s Stance: STRONG OPPOSE
S 1258: Right-Of-Way
Last Action: Passed house. Crossed over to House.
Summary: Amends existing law to establish requirements regarding the vacation of public rights-of-way that furnish access to state or federal public lands or waters. Counties must ensure access is maintained to public waters and lands when considering abandoning current access points to private interests.
IWF’s Stance: STRONG SUPPORT
S1322: Invasive Species
Last Action: Now in House Resources & Conservation Committee
Summary: Amends and adds to existing law to provide requirements for launch and transport of conveyances and to provide that a portion of annual revenue deposited in the invasive species fund may be made available to counties, cities, and other local entities for certain equipment and supplies. (Bill does not provide funding necessarily). Provides new rules for invasive species mitigation in light of quagga mussels getting into Idaho waters.
IWF’s Stance: SUPPORT
S1340: “Goats For Wolves”
Last Action: Referred to Senate Resources & Environment Committee.
Summary: Amends existing law to provide that certain outfitters shall be provided the opportunity to purchase an additional bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or moose tag. Outfitters would be given sheep, goat, or moose tag for a unite they kill a single wolf in. Bad wildlife policy. Full stop.
IWF’s Stance: STRONG OPPOSE
SJM103: Snake River Dams Resolution
Last Action: Referred to 10th Order
Summary: States findings of the Legislature and opposes the removal or breaching of the dams on the Columbia-Snake River system and its tributaries. Memorializes benefits of Snake River dams, which are fewer than the drawbacks they create, including extinction trend of Idaho's fish.
H0404: Wildlife Data
Last Action: Passed Committee, On To Senate Floor For cote
Summary: The bill would exempt real-time tracking data (often obtained by satellite GPS collars) for terrestrial game species via public records request. The bill protects fair chase principles by preventing the utilization of tracking data to pinpoint locations of game species.
IWF’s Stance: Support
S1231: PENALTY -INFRACTION -MISDEMEANOR -FELONY -REVOCATION OF LICENSE -DISPOSITION OF MONEYS
Last Action: Reported out of committee; to 14th Order for amendment
Summary: Bill will not allow those who have not paid fines for wildlife violations to purchase licenses until fines have been paid.
IWF’s Position: Support