The Spirit of Collaboration Thrives in the Owyhee Canyons of Idaho
The Owyhee Initiative is a consensus agreement reached by a number of national, regional, and local stakeholders to promote the ecological and economic health in southwest Idaho. The agreement was built by local ranchers, county representatives, conservationists, outfitters, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe and others to address longstanding disagreement about managing public lands.
The agreement helps resolve concerns ranging from regulation of off-road vehicles, permanent protection of wilderness study areas, recognition of a traditional ranching way of life, voluntary livestock grazing retirements, and preservation of tribal culture and values.
While the Owyhee Initiative agreement provides a framework for resolving conflicts, the Owyhee Initiative Implementation Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, in 2009 provides the legal vehicle for implementing and enforcing the agreement.