Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: SJM106 – Federal Grazing Permits & Wildlife Depredation
Bill Summary
Senate Joint Memorial No. 106 is a non-binding resolution from the Idaho Legislature addressed to the President, Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior. The memorial requests that the federal government mandate that claims of wildlife depredation—specifically livestock losses to wolves and grizzly bears—cannot be used as grounds for materially modifying or revoking federal grazing permits held by Idaho livestock operators.
The memorial highlights that Idaho livestock owners fear federal retaliation when reporting depredation claims to state boards, despite the existence of the Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board and Idaho Depredating Wildlife Appeals Board. It calls on the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to promulgate rules protecting grazing permittees from having their grazing privileges modified or revoked based on wildlife depredation claims.
The resolution emphasizes the economic importance of Idaho’s agricultural and livestock industries, noting that depredation directly harms owners’ livelihoods, community morale, and the regional economy. It seeks federal policy changes to ensure that livestock operators can report depredation without jeopardizing their federal land use permits.
Overall Assessment
This memorial demonstrates strong alignment with principles supporting agriculture, wildlife management, and economic protection for Idaho’s livestock industry. The resolution directly addresses concerns about federal overreach in grazing permit administration and seeks to protect livestock operators from punitive federal actions when reporting wildlife depredation. With a total score of +4, the memorial aligns positively with metrics related to agriculture, state-federal land relations, wildlife management, and economic freedom, while remaining neutral on metrics outside its focused scope of protecting livestock operations from federal retaliation.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. RESPONSIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT (0)
The memorial does not address fiscal responsibility, taxation, balanced budgets, or government spending. It focuses exclusively on federal grazing permit policies and wildlife depredation, which fall outside the scope of governmental fiscal responsibility and electoral processes covered by this metric.
ARTICLE II. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT (0)
The memorial does not address citizen involvement in government, elections, voting procedures, or political participation. It is a legislative request to federal agencies regarding administrative policies for grazing permits and does not engage with civic participation themes.
ARTICLE III. EDUCATION (0)
The memorial contains no provisions related to education, schools, curriculum, parental rights in education, or educational funding. The subject matter is entirely focused on agricultural and wildlife management issues.
ARTICLE IV. AGRICULTURE (1)
The memorial explicitly supports Idaho's agricultural and livestock industries, stating that the state "relies on the agricultural and livestock industries" and that "livestock depredation directly and significantly harms the owners' livelihoods." It calls for federal protection of grazing permittees, directly advancing the viability of agricultural operations as a cornerstone of the state economy.
ARTICLE V. WATER (0)
The memorial does not address water rights, water management, inter-basin transfers, or water policy. No provisions relate to water resources or federal interference in water administration.
ARTICLE VI. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (0)
While the memorial mentions wildlife (wolves and grizzly bears), it does not address broader environmental policy, federal environmental regulations, wilderness designations, or natural resource utilization principles. The focus is narrowly on protecting grazing permits rather than advancing state primacy in environmental regulation.
ARTICLE VII. ENERGY (0)
The memorial does not address energy policy, energy independence, hydroelectric power, nuclear energy, or any energy-related topics. The subject matter is unrelated to energy resource development or regulation.
ARTICLE VIII. IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORIES (0)
The memorial does not mention the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, or Department of Energy activities. No connection exists between the grazing permit issues and INL operations or missions.
ARTICLE IX. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS (0)
The memorial addresses federal grazing permits on federal land, which are privileges rather than private property rights. While it seeks to protect permittees from federal action, grazing permits do not constitute private property under the Fifth Amendment takings framework that this metric addresses.
ARTICLE X. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS (1)
The memorial addresses federal overreach in managing grazing permits on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. It requests that federal agencies promulgate rules limiting their authority to modify or revoke permits based on depredation claims, which aligns with limiting federal control over land use decisions affecting Idaho residents.
ARTICLE XI. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (1)
The memorial directly addresses depredation by wolves and grizzly bears, stating that "livestock is still being slaughtered by depredating wildlife, primarily by wolves and grizzly bears." It seeks to protect livestock operators who report depredation claims, supporting managed control of predators and aligning with opposition to unchecked predator populations impacting agriculture.
ARTICLE XII. ECONOMY (1)
The memorial explicitly states that "livestock depredation directly and significantly harms the owners' livelihoods, the local community's morale, and the regional economy." It seeks to remove federal interference that prevents livestock operators from reporting depredation, thereby protecting economic activity from undue governmental restriction and supporting a competitive market free from federal coercion.
ARTICLE XIII. HEALTH AND WELFARE (0)
The memorial does not address healthcare, health insurance, patient rights, welfare programs, or medical decision-making. The subject matter is unrelated to health and welfare policy.
ARTICLE XIV. AMERICAN FAMILY (0)
The memorial does not address family values, marriage, parental rights, abortion, or children's welfare. No provisions relate to family structure or social policies concerning families.
ARTICLE XV. OLDER AMERICANS (0)
The memorial does not address policies or programs related to older Americans, retirement security, or opportunities for senior citizens. The subject matter is unrelated to this demographic group.
ARTICLE XVI. LAW AND ORDER WITH JUSTICE (0)
The memorial does not address criminal justice, gun rights, drug policy, incarceration, or law enforcement. No provisions relate to constitutional rights in the criminal justice context or state sovereignty over law enforcement matters.
ARTICLE XVII. NATIONAL DEFENSE – SECURING THE BORDER (0)
The memorial does not address national defense, military readiness, veterans' affairs, border security, or immigration enforcement. The subject matter is entirely domestic and focused on agricultural land use policies.
ARTICLE XVIII. ELECTION OF JUDGES AND IDAHO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES (0)
The memorial does not address judicial elections, judicial selection processes, or constitutional interpretation methodologies. No provisions relate to the judiciary or court systems.
ARTICLE XIX. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (0)
The memorial does not address religious freedom, conscience protections, or federal restrictions on religious exercise. The subject matter is unrelated to First Amendment religious liberty concerns.