The following dates play an important role in a community attitude that could at times be described as citizens feeling victimized by their environment and environmental proponents:
- 1980 Congress designates 2.3 million acres as the River of No Return Wilderness (renamed the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in 1984).
- 1982 Blackbird Mine closes
- 1992 Chinook salmon in the Upper Salmon River basin listed as a threatened species
- 1993 EPA adds Blackbird Mine site to National Priorities List for Superfund
- 1993 Salmon Intermountain Sawmill closes
- 1995 Canadian gray wolf pairs re-introduced into Central Idaho
- 2000 Clear Creek Fire burns 217,000 acres and threatens town of Salmon
- 2000 Beartrack Mine closes, hundreds of workers laid off
- 2002 Agriculture Census reveals # of farms/ranches in Lemhi County had fallen by 10%; more than 12,000 acres had been removed from farming
- 2004 Salmon River Mountains Working Group starts; later becomes Salmon Valley Stewardship
It’s important to note that some of the most landmark environmental actions or events in the last few decades were happening in Lemhi County at a time when the people of Lemhi County were feeling less secure financially, culturally, and socially. SVS has remained committed to the people, as well as the places, of the Salmon River Region.
