Having grown up in the “Magic Valley,” I was intrigued and impressed by this article on the socio-economic and environmental effects of Big Ag in the Snake River Plain (“Idaho’s Sewer System,” HCN, 8/4/14). I do have one factual quibble: Cassia County (my home) has considerable mountainous terrain, including much national forest. It cannot possibly have 96 percent of its land under cultivation, as a glance at a map will confirm. I expect the same applies to the 99 percent figure for Gooding County.
Boyd Earl
Quincy, California
Ray Ring replies: Thank you for your careful reading. Those statistics in the story lumped together private acres that are farmed and public acres that are grazed by livestock, because both are forms of agriculture.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Snake River quibbles.
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