I have been a keen observer of Representative Mike Simpson’s entire career in Congress. There are a lot of things he says that I don’t agree with. He is a conservative Republican. I’m not. But we have worked together many times. I’ve spent decades helping create solutions for the long-term protection of the outdoors in Idaho. I worked with Simpson to make a difference rather than each of us pulling punches just to make a point. Making a difference for Idaho is pretty rare these days.

I’ve seen Simpson champion agriculture and ranching for years, so the letter to the editor from Simpson’s main opponent published on January 26 (“Simpson prioritizes fish over farmers”) is ridiculous . Yes, Mike Simpson defends Idaho salmon and rainbow trout. He supports the only scientifically proven way to ensure that Idaho’s Salmon River lives up to its name: the opening of the four lower Snake River dams in Washington. But the interest of his proposal is that he also defends all the other interests concerned. .

Mike Simpson is the first to provide a monetary value to what dams provide, coupled with scientific truth about how we harvest salmon and rainbow trout. Its goal is to prevent the extinction of salmon and rainbow trout, fairly for all, from the bottom up, rather than waiting for inevitable rulings imposed on Idaho by a court judge or distant bureaucrats. Parts of his proposal may go too far to protect established interests, in my view, but are driven by his personal commitment to ending endless litigation and a lose-lose status quo. His commitment to Idaho farmers is matched by his commitment to energy, transportation, recreational economies and tribal justice, all related to salmon. As Idaho Republicans claw at each other, facts still matter.