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: 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 ...