Tribes Upset Over State’s Land Proposal

(FORT HALL, ID) – The leaders of Idaho’s Indian tribes are upset about a proposal to transfer the control of all federal lands in Idaho to the state government. Shoshone-Bannock tribal chairman Nathan Small says the plan could violate treaty agreements between the tribe and the federal government, which pertain specifically to hunting, fishing, and gathering. Proponents of state control say there are economic benefits to having the state maintain all public land, which would provide much more revenue for Idaho’s public schools.