Local Idaho wilderness supporters speak out about their love of Idaho's wild public land and their hope to keep this wilderness forever protected in a new print ad campaign launched by the Idaho Conservation League and the Campaign for America's Wilderness. The ads were designed to raise awareness about Idaho's beautiful, wild public lands and the diverse group of people who support protecting these lands.
"Pristine public lands are the anchor to Idaho's extraordinary quality of life," says Rick Johnson, executive director of the Idaho Conservation League. "This ad campaign is a reminder that people from all backgrounds and walks of life use and treasure these amazing lands, and we need to protect them for future generations."
The ad campaign kicked off this week in newspapers around the state, including the Idaho Statesman, Idaho Falls Post Register, Idaho Mountain News, Idaho State Journal, Wood River Journal, and the Boise Weekly. Brad Chilton, owner of Scotts Ski and Sports in Pocatello appears in an ad, saying, "From hiking and camping in the summer to skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, Idaho's wilderness provides endless choices for recreation and outdoor activities. I also enjoy dirt bike riding and snowmobiling, and there are plenty of places around here to do that. But we also need wilderness like Castle Peak and the Boulder Chain Lakes where we can find quite and escape the roar of engines."
The last time wilderness was designated in Idaho was in 1980. A 2005 poll of Idaho voters by the Republican firm Moore Information found that 69 percent supported protecting 300,000 acres of wilderness in central Idaho's Boulder-White Clouds -- a component of a broader bill, the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act, introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho).
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