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Happiness and Resilience: A panel discussion with Boise State Public Radio Jan. 21

Idaho’s Salmon River inspired Jimmy Carter to save Alaska wilderness

Journalist Rocky Barker has floated the Middle Fork of the Salmon River five times.
Rocky Barker
Journalist Rocky Barker has floated the Middle Fork of the Salmon River five times.

Political leaders and former presidents gathered today in Washington, D.C. to attend the funeral for Jimmy Carter who died on Dec. 29.

Since the former president passed away, we’ve heard a lot about his legacy and what he did in office, but we haven’t heard a lot about how he managed to protect more than 100 million acres of Alaska’s wildest and most beautiful landscapes.

It turns out Carter got the idea to save all that wild land while he was floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho.

Journalist Rocky Barker wrote about the trip that changed the face of Alaska’s wilderness on his blog site, and he joined Idaho Matters to tell Carter’s story.

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