How Do You Lose a County? One Decision at a Time.
Join Us This Thursday!
Thursday, October 15 · 7:00 PM
The Elk's Lodge · Salmon, Idaho
Join Lemhi County Informed to discuss the latest developments surrounding the geothermal lease sale, Tuesday's County Commissioner meeting, and what our community can do moving forward.
Everyone is welcome! Whether you've been following this issue closely or are just hearing about it, we'd love to have you join us.
Before federal land in Lemhi County is leased for geothermal development, shouldn't we first make sure it's actually legal to lease it?
That was the central question raised at Tuesday's Lemhi County Commissioners meeting.
Paola Brown, representing Lemhi County Informed, returned before the commissioners to present concerns about the upcoming federal geothermal lease sale. But this time, the purpose wasn't simply to share more information.
It was to ask the County to take action.
And here's why.
Wait... Where Did Nearly 45,000 Acres Go?
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing to auction geothermal leases in Lemhi County on November 17, 2026.
A geothermal lease gives someone the right to explore for and potentially develop underground heat resources, subject to additional approvals.
But serious questions have been raised about whether all the land being offered is actually legally available for leasing.
Here's one of the biggest concerns:
In 2008, BLM identified 60,464 acres in the Lemhi planning area as CLOSED to geothermal leasing (click here to see the evidence yourself).
But the current lease analysis references an older number from 1987: just 15,596 CLOSED acres.
That's nearly 45,000 acres that are "missing".
Our reaction to that was basically, "wait, what?"
This blatant discrepancy raises an important question:
If BLM hasn't clearly accounted for the land that was closed in 2008, how can the public be sure the parcels being offered today are even legally available?
And here's what makes this even more concerning.
BLM has indicated that it is still looking for the 2008 maps and computer mapping data showing where those closed acres are physically located.
Think about that.
Federal land is being prepared for leasing, but the agency can't find the maps needed to verify which areas in our county were closed.
Legally, that's a pretty big problem because BLM needs to first establish that it is offering land that is OPEN for geothermal leasing before even preparing a sale of that land.
So These Missing Maps Really Matter.
This isn't just about paperwork. We're talking about thousands of acres of land that may not even be legally available for geothermal leasing. That's a serious concern, and one that deserves answers before any leases are sold.
Here is one verified example of a discrepancy that was caught and that BLM actually admitted to:
Sharkey Hot Springs
Land around Sharkey Hot Springs had been closed to geothermal leasing for decades (click here to see the receipts/evidence on this).
Yet approximately 800 acres associated with Sharkey were included as OPEN to geothermal leasing in the original leasing proposal.
After Brown raised the issue and provided historical records, BLM corrected the problem and removed that acreage.
That correction is appreciated.
But we couldn't in good conscience trust that the rest of the leasable acres were accurate.
The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Now another unresolved question involves the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (click here to see the receipts/evidence).
The 2008 geothermal planning documents identify National Historic and Scenic Trail lands as closed to geothermal leasing.
Yet the current lease documents treat certain lands along the trail as OPEN for leasing, with restrictions—just like it did with Sharkey Hot Springs.
BLM has been asked to show how the current leasing proposal follows the 2008 plan. The big missing piece is the 2008 maps which are—to our knowledge—missing.
Remember, the three Lemhi County parcels originally covered roughly 10,000 acres.
If the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail is indeed closed to geothermal leasing, as the 2008 planning documents indicate, and the protected area extends one mile on each side of the trail (a two-mile-wide corridor—per the governing 2008 documents), that could mean roughly 4,000 acres may need to be removed from this lease sale.
That's nearly 40% of the land originally proposed for leasing in Lemhi County that could need to be removed.
This is why getting the maps and verifying the boundaries is so important. We're not talking about a few acres here. We're talking about thousands of acres that may never have been legally available for geothermal leasing in the first place.
That's a lot of land to "accidentally" put up for lease while important questions remain unanswered.
What Can Our County Commissioners Actually Do?
It's important to recognize that our commissioners have a difficult job.
They have given citizens time to present these concerns, and they have been making phone calls and looking into the issues.
Those efforts are appreciated.
Anyone familiar with how county and federal governments work knows that the County does not control BLM. But that doesn't mean the County is powerless.
Our county commissioners have a formal role in questioning our federal government, particularly when federal lands in our county are involved.
- They can formally put Lemhi County's concerns on the record.
- They can ask BLM to demonstrate that these parcels actually conform to the governing land-use plan.
- They can request that the parcels be deferred while the discrepancies are resolved.
- They can obtain legal review and make sure the County understands its options before federal lease rights are created.
Putting the County's concerns formally on the record is critical. If these issues eventually require further administrative or legal action, having raised those concerns in writing before the leases are sold could help protect the County's legal options and strengthen its position if it needs to challenge BLM's decisions.
If you'd like to read the formal requests we presented to the Lemhi County Commissioners at today's meeting, click here to review the document.
The time to establish that record is now, not after the leases have already been sold.
If these issues eventually require further review or legal action, there should be a clear written record showing that Lemhi County raised its concerns before the leases were sold.
In a county where more than 90% of the land is federally managed, our local government's voice matters tremendously. A federal government that is routinely allowed to get away with violating the laws governing federal land in our county could quickly and dramatically change our little slice of heaven.
Our commissioners are among the most important local representatives we have when decisions are being made about federal land in our own backyard.
If they don't use that voice and authority, who are citizens supposed to turn to?
Little by Little, This Is How We Lose Our County
Here's something worth thinking about.
Counties change little by little.
- One discrepancy nobody insists be corrected.
- One government decision nobody questions.
- One precedent at a time.
- Over the years, those decisions add up.
And eventually, they help determine what kind of county our children and grandchildren will inherit.
Citizens shouldn't have to simply accept government decisions without asking questions, especially when the government's own records appear to tell a different story.
This isn't about being against geothermal energy.
It's about making sure the government follows its own damn rules.
Holding the government accountable when something doesn't add up is our responsibility as citizens.
And that is not controversial.
Three Specific Requests Made to the Commissioners
During Tuesday's meeting, three specific actions were requested.
1. Send a formal letter asking BLM to delay the lease sale.
The commissioners were asked to send a letter to BLM and Idaho's congressional delegation requesting that Lemhi County Parcels 0049, 0054, and 0056 be deferred from the upcoming sale until the questions are resolved.
In particular, the County should request verification of which land was closed to geothermal leasing under the 2008 plan.
2. Ask the County Prosecuting Attorney for a written legal review.
The commissioners were asked to request a written review of whether these three parcels follow the governing Resource Management Plan.
In simple terms:
Does BLM's own plan actually allow this land to be leased?
3. Find out what legal options the County has.
The commissioners were also asked to have the prosecutor, or another qualified attorney if necessary, examine what options the County may have if BLM moves forward without resolving these concerns.
The goal is to understand and protect the County's options before the sale takes place.
One Decision at a Time. One Parcel at a Time.
There is reason to hope that our commissioners will take these requests seriously.
The work they've already done is appreciated, and challenging federal decisions isn't always easy.
But sometimes doing the right thing requires asking difficult questions and insisting on answers.
The geothermal lease auction is scheduled for November 17, 2026.
There is still time to do this right. BLM should pull these parcels from the November sale, go back and redo the analysis using the correct governing records, and only then offer for lease the land that is actually legally available.
That is not an extreme request.
It is the minimum we should expect.
Because the decisions made today will help shape the Lemhi County we live in tomorrow.
One decision at a time. One parcel at a time. One precedent at a time.
Come Join the Conversation!
Thursday, October 15 · 7:00 PM
The Elk's Lodge · Salmon, Idaho
There is a lot happening, and the November 17 geothermal lease sale is approaching quickly.
We'll share updates, review the documents we've uncovered, answer questions as best we can, and talk about what comes next.
You don't need to be an expert on geothermal energy, federal land, or county government. You just need to care about what happens in Lemhi County.
Bring your questions, bring a neighbor, and come be part of the conversation.
An informed community is a stronger community.
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