Idaho Conservation League

 

Since 1973, the Idaho Conservation League has worked to protect the air you breathe, the water you drink, the land and wildlife you love. As Idaho’s leading voice for conservation, they represent Idahoans who want to protect their state’s natural heritage and leave a legacy for its future generations. They work on a breadth of issues and are successful because of the support and involvement of Idaho's statewide members.

Clean Water

ICL focuses on many projects across the state to ensure that Idaho’s clean waters are protected and preserved. They review every Clean Water Act permit and every new water right application in Idaho. They also monitor groundwater, wastewater treatment plants, and toxic algae blooms to keep Idahoans informed about threats to water quality across the state.

The North Idaho Waters program focuses on protecting the waters of Idaho’s panhandle from degradation, pollution, and poor land use management. North Idaho staff work with partner organizations and Tribes to ensure that places like Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Coeur d’Alene, Priest Lake, the Kootenai River and more are protected for now and future generations. In eastern Idaho, the Snake River is a blue-ribbon trout river. As it flows west, the river accumulates so much pollution that, by the time it reaches Idaho’s western border, the State of Idaho warns people not to let their pets swim in it. ICL's long-term goal is to make the Snake River across southern Idaho safe, fishable and swimmable again.

Climate Change

They are committed to reducing Idaho’s contribution to this worldwide crisis. ICL’s climate work focuses on the biggest contributors to climate change in Idaho: energy, transportation, and agriculture. They're committed to finding climate solutions that are just, equitable, and protective of the people, places, and wildlife throughout Idaho.

Public Lands

ICL works hard to keep Idaho’s public lands in public hands. They participate in collaborative projects across the state to help develop and implement policies that help restore and sustain the natural resources of Idaho’s public lands while laying the groundwork for permanent protective designations. Their focus is protecting public lands for future generations and the native plants, fish, and wildlife that depend on them.

Salmon and Steelhead

The loss of wild salmon to Idaho has major ecological and economic implications for the Clearwater and Salmon river ecosystems, and the fish, wildlife, and people who call the Northwest home. ICL is working to restore ecologically significant, harvestable populations of wild salmon and steelhead to Idaho.

Wildlife

For decades the Idaho Conservation League has worked to protect Idaho’s unique wildlife and the diverse habitats they need to survive. In 2022, ICL refocused this effort through the establishment of a new Wildlife Program focused on Idaho’s non-game wildlife species. After all, only 3% of Idaho’s wildlife species are hunted, fished, or trapped, yet this small percentage of wildlife receives 97% of all wildlife funding. In order to address this imbalance, they will raise public awareness and support for the protection of all species, they will build a constituency of wildlife lovers, and they will work to find solutions to ensure that future generations of Idahoans can enjoy the wildlife heritage they deserve.

 

For more information on Idaho Conservation League, visit their website.