"Lawmakers Split Over 330,000-Acre Idaho Wilderness Proposal"

"A proposal to designate more than 300,000 acres of wilderness in central Idaho appears to be in a political tailspin, dashing hopes among wilderness advocates that the Gem State could soon resolve a decades-long debate over management of its public lands.

Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson's "Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act" (CIEDRA) was reintroduced this spring with sponsorship from the entire Idaho congressional delegation and garnered the support of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officials at a June hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

But Sen. Jim Risch (R), a co-sponsor of the bill and member of the committee, in July announced he was rethinking the proposal amid concerns from Idaho Republican Gov. Butch Otter and other stakeholders."

Phil Taylor reports for Greenwire September 30, 2010.