Jim Risch, currently serving as Idaho's 28th Senator, holds a longstanding commitment to public service and a passion for good government. Known for "pragmatic decision-making," Risch is what his peers call a "no-nonsense, get-the-job-done leader" with more than four decades of experience in elected office. He has been recognized by the National Journal as the “Most Conservative” Senator in the United States Senate for two years in a row.
America's public lands are an important resource that must be carefully managed and protected to meet multiple uses. In Idaho, these lands make up nearly two-thirds of our state.
As governor, I worked with a collaborative group of land users to design a plan for managing Idaho's roadless public lands. The resulting policy provided higher levels of protection for some lands that truly deserved it and allowed multiple use of other lands where it fit. That collaborative effort enjoys widespread support.
Public land management does not work when Congress passes a top-down mandate. Instead, land users in each state should be allowed to come together and craft their own plans of management like Idaho's Roadless Rule.