The foremost issue of the 1971 race for Idaho governor had become the proposed ASARCO mine in the White Clouds. Proponents of a potentially valuable molybdenum mine were up against those in favor of conservation and protection of the land. But a path of compromise between both sides was being proposed and championed by Cecil Andrus, and it was on this path that he ran the race for governor.
Andrus enacted his moderate approach by staying open to discussion with both sides. He recognized that, among other mining companies, ASARCO had historically been more environmentally aware in their mining approaches, and he consulted with industry leaders about the difficulties they were facing with new anti-mining sentiments on the rise in the public sphere. He made it clear, however, that the bill he had introduced to regulate surface mining was aimed at blocking the attempts of those who wanted to destroy the scenic and natural resources of Idaho.
Cecil Andrus (right) was an avid outdoorsman. Here, he is seen hunting turkey with Jerry Conley, Idaho Fish and Game director. Photo Credit: Cecil D. Andrus Papers, Boise State University Archives.
Andrus was also aware of the interests of the local residents in Custer County, to whom the mine proposal was appealing because of economic opportunity. Though over 90 percent of the land in Custer County was under federal ownership, the amount of aid received from the governmental agencies amounted to less than $19,000 annually, taking very little burden off of the narrow tax base. ASARCO, however, would be investing nearly 40 million to build and operate the mine, creating 350 new jobs, and paying $720,000 a year in property taxes. Custer County residents were firmly in favor of a mine.
Though Andrus’s bill did not gain Senate approval and was overturned, his role in the struggle was just being established. For the next several months, debate continued, and Andrus remained stubbornly in the middle of the issue. He echoed again and again the importance of preserving the land for future generations, placing himself in sharp juxtaposition with the views of the current Idaho governor, Don Samuelson, who was up for re-election that fall. Samuelson, accused of being tone-deaf to the issue of conservation, insisted on referring to the taxpayer base as Idaho’s greatest natural resource, entrenching himself firmly on the side of the proposed mining operations and alienating a large percentage of environmentally inclined Idahoans.
The tides really turned that October. Polls showed that public favor had decisively swung, with 55% now in favor of protecting the White Clouds, and only 35% supporting the ASARCO mine. Andrus was now being fully embraced by the conservationists of the Idaho Environmental Council and the Greater Sawtooth Preservation Council, as well as newspapers across the state. The Boise Statesman, in addition to publishing front-page ads boldly announcing that “Andrus can save the White Clouds,” ferociously argued that the environmentalist stance was by no means incompatible with the push for economic development. Opportunities for economic expansion did not rest solely on the industrial potential found in Idaho’s rich supply of natural resources but could successfully incorporate recreation as an equally viable source of revenue. This claim was backed by numbers: between 1958 and 1967, recreational use of the land had quadrupled.
Though environmentalism was not Andrus’s only issue in his campaign for governorship, his role in the fight for the White Clouds launched his campaign into the national spotlight, making him one of the first governors to win an election on an environmentalist platform. The margin was close, though, especially around the area in question; Custer County, overwhelmingly in favor of a mine, voted in favor of re-electing Samuelson 1,625 to 135. Despite this, Andrus was sworn in to his first of four terms as governor in 1971. In later years, Andrus would affectionately refer to the White Clouds as “the mountains that made a governor.”
Andrus’s victory in the race for governor did not resolve the issue of a mine, however. It was not until 1972 that the land was protected under the designation of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Public Law 92-400, signed by President Nixon on August 22nd, placed another layer of protection under 756,000 acres of Idaho high country, including the White Clouds mountains and Castle Peak. With this new designation, no new mining operations were allowed to take effect, and previous mining claims could no longer be actively used.
President Obama signs the Sawtooth NRA and Jerry Peak Additions Act in 2015, preserving the White Clouds as a Wilderness Area.
Even this monumental step was not the last chapter in the story of the White Clouds protection. Over the next 43 years, conservationists pushed for the mountains to be named a Wilderness Area—“the gold standard of preservation designations.” This goal was not recognized until August 2015, when President Obama signed the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act. The precious White Clouds mountains were finally protected in perpetuity.
Today, as hikers and backpackers head into the White Clouds backcountry, they pass by signs welcoming them into the “Cecil D. Andrus White Clouds Wilderness Area,” a name change made in 2018 to memorialize the great efforts of the former Idaho governor. Andrus’s legacy is a reminder for us today that our natural resources are invaluable and should be preserved and enjoyed both by us today and by future generations.
For further reading on Cecil Andrus and the fight for the White Clouds, see attached links:
Short bio of Governor Andrus – National Governor’s Association
Public Law 92-400 (Sawtooth National Recreation Area designation) – U.S. Forest Service
H.R. 1138 (Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act) – U.S. Congress
Wilderness Area Proposal Maps – U.S. Congress
Recommended Books:
To the White Clouds: Idaho’s Conservation Saga, by J.M. Neil
Defending Idaho’s Natural Heritage, by Ken Robison
Azelie Wood is a historic specialist, working at the Stanley Museum. Though she is a California native, she has already fallen in love with the Sawtooth Mountains, and is excited to explore them this summer. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and reading.