Does your voice make a difference at the State House? Absolutely.

On January 24, 2017, a fire was lit in the hearts of public land supporters across the west. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) had introduced HR621, a bill that sought to sell federal lands deemed “suitable for disposal” in states across the west, including Idaho. A week later, after the public caught wind of this bill and an enormous outpouring of opposition followed, Congressman Chaffetz withdrew HR621. The people’s message had been loud and clear, and this message had been heard. It was a fine example of the power of people’s voices in the face of legislation that would threaten the values held so close by hunters, anglers and the greater outdoor community.

Now two years later, as threats to Idaho’s public lands persist, the voices of hunters and anglers continue to make a difference in the State House.

Speaking Up

Throughout this year’s legislative session and in the face of multiple bills that threatened Idaho’s public lands, tens of thousands of emails were sent to Idaho state senators and representatives by Idahoans across the state. Other people reached out with questions on how to make phone calls to their legislators. And those pre-written form letters you can fill out and send to legislators? While they may seem impersonal, those are highly effective tools that give senators and representatives an idea of the weight behind a particular issue. This year, all of these avenues for dialogue went a long way in bringing the pro-public lands message to Idaho’s elected officials Showing Up

Camo and blaze orange line the front row in the Senate Chambers.

On multiple occasions in 2019, Idaho hunters and anglers took time out of their work days to spend a morning or an afternoon at the State House, sitting in on the House Floor or Senate Chambers or attending a committee meeting and giving a testimony. On March 11, a day that a particularly bad anti-public lands bill was set to be heard in the Senate Resources Committee, hundreds of public land supporters flooded the halls of the State House, creating a sea of blaze orange and camo among the polished marble walls. Each person wore a bright orange sticker that included the words “Keep your hands off my public lands”. The energy of the crowd, even as people remained calm and respectful, was undeniable. Once inside the committee meeting, over 150 people signed up to testify, and while not all were given a chance to speak, the amount of support for public lands seen by senators that day went a long way in determining the outcome of the bill in question, HB162, a bill that would create a federal lands council staffed by anti-public lands legislators and paid for by taxpayers. The bill was ultimately sent back to the drawing board for amendments. Had people not shown up for public lands on that day, the outcome very likely would have been different.

Sportswomen at the Idaho State House during Camo at the Capitol

Another way to “show up” for conservation is to attend events aimed at giving people the skills needed to effectively advocate for wildlife, public lands and public waters on their own. Events like Camo at the Capitol and Advocacy Trainings are great ways to engage with other hunters and anglers, and both will give you the tools needed to be the most effective voice for the issues you care most about.

So this year, as I spent my days in the State House and watched the legislative process unfold, I took note of a few things.
– Does spending a minute or two crafting an email to send to your elected officials make a difference? It sure does.
– Does leaving a quick voicemail to a senator or representative carry weight? Absolutely.
– And does simply showing up and letting your elected officials see the faces and the concerns of their constituents affect outcomes? Without a doubt.

The senators and representatives we choose to represent us in the State House have big jobs at hand. For close to three months, they will hear hundreds of bills covering a wide range of topics. We can’t possibly ask them to be experts in every single field, so how do sportsmen and women help? What we can do is use our own voices to bring clarity to complex issues and shed light on the importance of hunting and angling values for both our generation and those to come.

Perhaps a day will come when hunters and anglers and all public land supporters no longer need to bring signs to the State House, or drive hundreds of miles to testify in front of committees. But for now, so long as the passionate voices of everyday Idahoans can persist, the continued engagement within the hunting and angling community will continue to create positive change in conservation policy for the places and the wildlife and the opportunities we all cherish.

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