A new approach to Idaho wilderness: History and politics of the Boulder-White Clouds

This thesis is a comprehensive case study of the effort to designate substantial portions of the Boulder-White Cloud Mountains (BWC) in Idaho as federal wilderness areas to be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. U.S. Representative Mike Simpson's (R-ID) legislation for the area was entitled the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA). The case study places the BWC effort in the context of Idaho wilderness history, examines the genesis of the campaign, the issues of the major stakeholders, and why CIEDRA ultimately failed in the 109 th Congress to break a 26-year impasse over new wilderness designation in Idaho. The conclusion includes reasoned prognostications for CIEDRA's future, Idaho's wilderness movement, and management of Idaho roadless public lands.