There are only a few hours left in Barack Obama’s presidency and chances are dimming that he’ll move on two issues with ties to Idaho.
There has been speculation over the last few months of Obama’s presidency that he might create a National Monument across Idaho’s border in eastern Oregon.
Conservation groups have suggested creating the Owyhee Canyonlands Monument on 2.5 million acres of land in Malheur County. They want to protect petroglyphs, historic sites and the area’s desert heritage.
But in a non-binding vote this year, 90 percent of county residents opposed the idea, saying it would lock out local landowners with new regulations.
Obama has also handed out multiple pardons in his final days in office, leading to speculation he might grant one to Idaho Army Sergeant Bowe Berdgahl, who asked for one.
Bergdahl, who comes from Hailey, walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was taken prisoner by the Taliban. He was held for five years. A pardon would stop Bergdahl’s military trial, set for April.
He faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and, if found guilty, could get life in prison.
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