U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher held a telephone town hall Wednesday, July 23, covering a wide range of federal policy topics with constituents across Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, including public lands management, wildfire, the SAVE Act, and ongoing U.S. military engagements abroad.

Public Lands and Wildfire

Federal land management dominated much of the conversation. More than 62 percent of Idaho’s land mass is controlled by the federal government — a reality Fulcher said shapes the state’s politics and governance in distinctive ways.

“Idaho is one of five states that more than half the land mass is federal,” Fulcher said. “That makes us a little bit unique in how we govern.”

Fulcher pointed to mounting management challenges: roughly 2.7 million acres have been closed to public access over the past five years, and Idaho burns approximately one million acres annually. He noted that the estimated cost to maintain federal lands within Idaho runs to around $500 million per year.

As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Fulcher has been active on federal lands policy. In late 2024, he released a letter calling on stakeholder groups to explore transferring some degree of control over federal public lands to the state level. Conservation organizations including the Idaho Conservation League, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Wilderness Society pushed back against that proposal.

Fulcher also voted in 2025 for a provision that would have authorized the sale of certain federal lands in Nevada and Utah, though the measure did not make it into final law.

PILT and SRS Funding

Fulcher discussed two federal programs that compensate states and counties for the tax revenue they forgo because of federal land ownership. The Payment in Lieu of Taxes program distributed $733 million nationally for fiscal year 2026, with Idaho receiving $49.5 million in its share of those funds, which were distributed in June.

He also highlighted the Secure Rural Schools reauthorization, which passed the full U.S. House in December by a lopsided 399-5 vote margin, providing an additional funding stream for rural counties with large federal land footprints.

SAVE Act

Fulcher addressed the SAVE Act, federal legislation that would require documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The measure has become a focal point in broader congressional debates over election integrity and has drawn both strong support from conservatives and significant Democratic opposition.

Iran and Military Affairs

The congressman also fielded questions about the Iran conflict and U.S. military cooperation with Israel. He offered a cultural observation in discussing the tensions between Western nations and Iran, saying, “Iranian culture, it cannot be compared to Western culture.”

Fulcher discussed provisions in the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes $1.15 trillion in military spending. The NDAA includes measures to expand technology-sharing cooperation between the United States and Israel, extending an arrangement currently set to expire in 2028. Israel has received approximately $3.8 billion annually in U.S. military assistance since 2019.

What’s Next

Fulcher is scheduled to participate in an AARP-hosted telephone town hall on July 27, giving constituents another opportunity to raise questions directly with the congressman. Public lands policy is expected to remain a major issue heading into the fall session, with federal land transfer proposals likely to resurface in committee discussions.

The federal lands debate is particularly significant in Idaho, where the combination of large federally managed acreage, chronic wildfire pressure, and rural county budgets dependent on PILT and SRS funds creates ongoing tension between state officials and federal land managers. Fulcher’s position on the Natural Resources Committee gives him a direct role in shaping that policy going forward.