What is the Owyhee Initiative (OI) and why is federal legislation needed?
The Owyhee Initiative (OI) is a consensus agreement reached by a number of national, regional, and local stakeholders to promote the ecological and economic health within Idaho’s Owyhee County. The agreement was crafted by local ranchers, county representatives, conservationists, outfitters, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe and others to address longstanding public lands issues in southwestern Idaho. The agreement addresses concerns ranging from regulation of off-road vehicles, permanent protection of wilderness study areas, recognition of a traditional ranching way of life, and preservation of tribal culture and values. While the OI agreement provides a framework for resolving these concerns, the Owyhee Initiative Implementation Act introduced by Sen. Crapo (R-Idaho) provides the necessary legal vehicle for implementing and enforcing the agreement. Taken together, the OI agreement and OI Implementation Act achieves the following: Designation of 517,000 acres of wilderness, including 55,000 a
