Canyon County leaders ask to make Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge county property

Frustrated by the slow federal planning process and convinced federal managers want to “shut the lake down,” Canyon County commissioners and mayors fired off a letter to Idaho’s congressional delegation advocating an “act of Congress” to put the Deer Flat area under county control. But Idaho’s delegation said the public process for writing a comprehensive conservation plan for the refuge should continue unimpeded. While boating and skiing are among the most popular uses at Lake Lowell, refuge managers’ first obligation under federal law is to protect wildlife, and the refuge system’s commitment to public use focuses on the “big six” of wildlife recreation: fishing, hunting, photography, observation, environmental education and wildlife interpretation. The city and county officials urged Congress to strip the national wildlife refuge designation from the area, saying the county could cooperate with Idaho Fish and Game to protect the birds and animals in and around Lake Lowell. The county already manages recreation and law enforcement there, they noted. “In the event this is impossible, we respectfully request that you carefully monitor the (planning) process to ensure that our historic uses of Lake Lowell are not censured by federal interlopers who care not for the preservation of our economy and cultural traditions,” the letter said...more