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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><img width="113" height="114" style="width:1.175in;height:1.1916in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D947A1.844EBE00" alt="A picture containing logo
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">Office of Governor Brad Little<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-align:center">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">Office of Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">Office of U.S. Senator Mike Crapo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">Office of U.S. Senator Jim Risch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">Office of Congressman Mike Simpson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">Office of Congressman Russ Fulcher<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-variant:small-caps;letter-spacing:1.5pt">OPINION<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Feb. 23, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Defending state sovereignty over land, water, wildlife is in Idaho’s DNA<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">In Idaho, fighting the feds is in our DNA.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We’re proud of a long history of protecting our state’s sovereignty over our land, water, and wildlife, and in the past month alone we’ve stepped
up and demonstrated yet again our penchant for defending Idaho’s unique way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Idaho’s entire way of life depends on one important resource – water. Unfortunately, Biden’s EPA wants to regulate puddles, ponds, and small
water features on lands across Idaho, putting the prosperity of numerous industries (and the jobs that depend on them) at stake – mining, agriculture, ranching, energy development, construction, you name it.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Governor Little led 24 other Republican governors in opposing Biden’s EPA waters rule and called on the President to delay implementation of
the rule until the U.S. Supreme Court can weigh in. In Congress, Idaho’s Delegation has used every tool at its disposal to stop President Obama’s and President Biden’s water grab by sponsoring legislation, using the federal appropriations process to defund
the rule, and more. We have a strong track record of effective opposition of this overreaching bureaucratic power grab, and as your leaders at the state and federal levels, we will continue to lead the charge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We’re also lockstep in our demand for answers from the feds about grizzly bear delisting. Idaho has continually demonstrated leadership in species
management, and we expect the federal government to uphold its duties to provide clarity. While there is some acknowledgement from the federal government that grizzly bears have recovered, the fact is they are still not providing relief to Idaho communities
dealing with the impacts. Once again, we are coordinating closely to return grizzly bears to state control through all available options.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">And when it comes to the feds’ plans to build a wind farm in south-central Idaho that will impact water, wildlife, ranching, and more, we let
the Bureau of Land Management know they need to secure community support before they can receive ours for the project. Building hundreds of wind turbines cannot move forward without the buy-in of the local communities.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Every time we’re out meeting with Idahoans – from Bonners Ferry to Blackfoot, Caldwell to Carey, Pierce to Pocatello, and everywhere in between
– we’re always encouraged to know that Idaho’s fighting spirit for our state sovereignty is alive and well. However, to maintain that local control in Idaho, we need to remain united and coordinated. We want Idahoans to know that their elected officials –
all of us – are standing together with all of you, and we will do everything we can to effectively push back on the federal government. That’s what makes Idaho, Idaho.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"># # #</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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