Portneuf River Back Country Horsemen ​Meetings will now be held during the third week of the month on Wednesday at 6:30PM. The new location is in the Pocatello Marshal Public Library, 113 S Garfield Ave (turn right after going in the main door)
THERE WILL BE NO CHAPTER MEETING IN DECEMBER, BUT THERE WILL BE A MEETING AND POTLUCK IN JANUARY.
We will have information posted for a ride two weeks in advance on our calendar. The information will include a map of the route to the trailhead and a map of the ride. The calendar is accessed by clicking on the CALENDAR tab above.

OXFORD PEAK RIDE MAY 23

The ride is 12 miles long and 4000 feet of climbing. Recommend horses be in shape and have shoes. The ride will be a memorial to Rod Fisher. Check our website calendar for more details. The link to the calendar is,  https://www.portneufriverbch.com/calendar.html
Rodney Allen Fisher was born March 10, 1944. He grew up in a small dairy farm just north of Preston.
Rod was one of the founders of the Portneuf River Back Country Horsemen. He was also an active member of the Over the Hill Gang. I have never met anyone who was a better ride leader. He had an excellent memory of trails. I always felt safe on trail rides with Rod.
He loved to drive trucks. It was on one of his trips to California that he picked up something from the agricultural dust that affected his lungs. Over the years, it caused a gradual impairment of breathing.
The picture below shows Rod and Charlotte Vaughn on Oxford Peak. Rodney Fisher, 75, passed away on July 19, 2019.

​Idaho Shifts Agency Oversight: SB 1300 Consolidates Executive Power
Idaho is moving away from decades of board-led agency management following the passage of Senate Bill 1300. Signed on April 2, 2026, the law transfers the power to appoint key state directors directly to the Governor, effective July 1.
Key Impacts:
  • New Gubernatorial Authority: The Governor will now hire and fire the directors of Fish and Game, Parks and Recreation, and the Transportation Department, subject to Senate confirmation.
  • Ending the 1938 Model: This overturns the science-based "merit system" established by the 1938 Fish and Game Initiative, which used independent citizen boards to insulate directors from political influence.
  • One Major Exception: The Department of Lands remains unchanged; its director still reports to the five-member State Board of Land Commissioners.
The Debate:
Supporters claim the move increases executive accountability. Critics argue it politicizes resource management and probably would jeopardize the 1961 Harriman State Park agreement, which specifically required non-political oversight for the donated land. By jeopardizing, we mean that Harriman would return to private ownership and exclude public access.

UPDATE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE

Information on the New Explore Act passed in January

Big Springs Campground has six dilapidated corrals. The Westside Ranger District is writing a grant to construct new corrals. The six corrals are shown from west to east below

Our friends the Over the Hill Gang ride regularly every wednesday.

Volunteerism is an essential activity of Back Country Horsemen. A central point of our mission statement is to assist government agencies in the stewardship of public lands.