Stewarding the Sawtooths: The Past, Present and Future of Idaho’s Crown Jewel

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) is the crown jewel of Idaho’s public lands, encompassing 756,000 acres of jagged mountains, alpine lakes, and key salmon spawning grounds. The SNRA exists to preserve and protect the area’s natural, scenic, historic, pastoral and fish and wildlife values and to provide for the enhancement of the area’s recreation values. But what happens when there are not enough staff or budget for the Forest Service to capably manage this expansive and heavily visited area?

This presentation will trace the story of the SNRA from its purposeful creation in 1972 through to the challenges the Area faces in the present day due to larger threats to Idaho’s public lands. We will discuss what those challenges are currently and what organizations, programs, and partnerships exist to help steward the SNRA through these turbulent times. 

The presentation will feature a group of speakers who are intimately familiar with the SNRA: 

Ken Paur retired as the Regional Attorney for the Mountain Region of the USDA Office of the General Counsel at the end of 2020. Ken began working for OGC in 1991 as an attorney in the Ogden office where he advised the Forest Service regarding administration of the SNRA and the scenic easement program, and was assigned to most of the lawsuits concerning the SNRA. 

Josh Johnson is the Central Idaho Director for the Idaho Conservation League, a statewide environmental advocacy organization that has worked since 1973 to protect Idaho’s environment, including its amazing public lands like the SNRA.

Kathryn Grohusky is the Executive Director of the Sawtooth Society, a nonpartisan organization founded in 1997 by politicians, advocates, and local residents that shared a collective love of the Sawtooth Valley. The Sawtooth Society accomplishes its mission of preserving, protecting, and enhancing the Sawtooth National Recreation Area through advocacy, partnerships, and stewardship.

Registration recommended to join us in person (Select "In Person"), and registration required to receive the Vimeo link to watch online (Select "Online" during registration). This program will be recorded and available to watch later on the Library's Event Archive.