Meet the Moment

The place we love is at a turning point.

If Idaho’s mountain ranges, crystal streams, forests or rangelands have ever taken your breath away, you know the feeling: The landscapes here call to us. Nourish us. Inspire us.

Yet climate change, population growth and a legacy of poor land and water management have brought Idaho to a pivotal moment. There is still time to save the extraordinary natural beauty and vital ecosystems that make our state a special place.

But only if we act together, act smart and act now.

Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Waters

Agriculture has a major impact on Idaho’s economy, resources and people. In 2017, agribusiness accounted for 13% of the gross state product, 18% of total sales and 123,000 jobs. Most of Idaho’s population of 1.7 million lives in the Snake River Plain, where most of Idaho’s storage water and agricultural land is located.

To sustainably feed a growing world population and support both a healthy environment and thriving communities, we need more Idaho farmers to employ regenerative agriculture. Practices such as planting cover crops and reducing tillage can build healthier soil, which in turn can increase yield and long-term profits. Healthier soil also stores more carbon. Regenerative agriculture is a natural climate solution we can deploy right now to help mitigate climate change, with no technological breakthroughs or policy debates required. Growing food regeneratively also has the potential to improve water quality and reduce water use.

Land and Water Conservation

At its core, Idaho is wild. Our state has more miles of whitewater rivers than any state in the Lower 48, more peaks over 10,000 feet than any other state in the Rockies, and rich habitat for salmon, grizzlies, wolverine, pronghorn, sage grouse and thousands of other species. More than a third of our 35 million public acres are protected and roadless.

Private lands are an integral part of this wilderness. They connect our vast landscapes, providing precious, high-quality habitat for seasonal migrations and for wildlife to rear their young. They are the sources of cold, clear water for salmon and steelhead streams. And, they are places where farmers and ranchers earn their livelihoods. When connected, many of these landscapes and freshwater systems serve as climate refuges, natural strongholds that will be critically important for fish, wildlife and communities in a changing climate. Yet these lands and waters are under pressure. By conserving key lands and waters, we can keep our state wild while also sustaining our economies and communities.

Climate Action

Idaho’s climate is changing because of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and the changes are already being felt in our communities and the health of our lands and waters. As temperatures increase, we’re witnessing an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires, along with changes in snowpack and the timing of the seasons—all of which have serious consequences for human and natural communities. We’re implementing natural climate solutions, which reduce and sequester greenhouse gasses, in our conservation programs. But reducing human-caused emissions is also critical. By mobilizing Idahoans to do so, we have an opportunity to avoid the worst effects of climate change.