Owyhee Initiative Signed Into Law Today

Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will be at the White House today at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time as President Obama signs into law a public lands bill containing Crapo's Owyhee Initiative legislation. Other Idahoans involved in the Owyhee Initiative process have traveled to Washington to be a part of the event. Owyhee Initiative Work Group chairman Fred Grant, Shoshone-Paiute Tribal Chairman Robert Bear and Executive Director Rick Johnson of the Idaho Conservation League are also in Washington for the signing.

The Owyhee Initiative becomes law today upon the President's signing. It has been an eight-year collaborative effort to end land management conflicts in Southwestern Idaho and creates the first wilderness bill in Idaho in nearly 30 years. Ranching and economic interests will be protected and the bill creates 517,000 acres of wilderness, releases 199,000 acres from wilderness study to multiple use and protects 316 miles of streams with the Wild and Scenic River designation.

Members of the Owyhee Initiative work group that could not attend the White House ceremony will watch it live in Senator Crapo's Boise Office, 251 E. Front Street, Room 205, today. Media coverage is welcome.

A satellite feed from Crapo and others attending the signing ceremony will be available today:
3:45-4:00 Mountain Time / 2:45-3:00 p.m. Pacific.
C-Band Analog
AMC-1
Transponder 9 Horizontal
Downlink Frequency 3880
Standard Audio

C-SPAN and broadcast television networks MAY also cover the event and still photos may also be available. The signing ceremony will also be streamed live at Crapo's website at http://crapo.senate.gov. and on the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/live.