The Court Case That Could Make Idaho Unlivable

This is a story that will determine the direction of Idaho’s economy. Vibrancy or decline? From my perspective, this is a vastly under-reported story, even locally. Of course, newsrooms don’t have the staffing that existed 20 years ago. But we still have courts and lawyers representing people who transformed southern Idaho from desert to abundance.

The story involves the Joyce Ranch in Owyhee County—one of the first successful cattle efforts in this part of the country. The detailed story of the ranch's history and the issue is available by clicking here.

There was a time when the federal government wanted these lands to be productive means of feeding a growing population. Then the approach changed as the greenies increasingly filled the ranks of the Deep State. Now people and livestock are viewed as invasive weeds. If the feds can pull the water from the Joyce Ranch, then the land and the beef industry become useless. All the supporting businesses are imperiled. The Magic Valley could be nearly vacant in a generation.

For eco-terrorists like Tracy Stone-Manning, Director of the Bureau of Land Management, that’s the mission. They want you to live in some urban high-rise in what they call a 15-minute community. It’s dystopian.

This is the fight in our times. It drives home the necessity of electing the right people. At the moment, the tree-hugging left is holding most of the cards. We wouldn’t need courts if we had leadership willing to sweep clean the bureaucracy.

Some in the farming and ranching community criticize Idaho State Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld for her voting record, but here’s a comment from her on this story:

I keep telling everyone, that Idaho needs to distance itself from the federal government. We are losing our water rights! Control the water, control the food, and control the people.