Valley County (670 KBOI News) – Texas billionaires the Wilkes Brothers, who riled up outdoors enthusiasts last fall when they put up a barrier, restricting access to a forest service road in the Boise Foothills, are at it again…this time in Valley County.

On the Idaho Wildlife Federation’s Facebook page, Brian Brooks says they’ve installed a barrier on Forest Service Road 645, northwest of Smith’s Ferry, which cuts across their private property, but connects to public lands on the other side.

“These are the same guys that hired a team of lobbyists, in the 2018 Idaho legislative session, to successfully pass Idaho’s new trespass law,” said Brooks.  “Which gives them the power to sue somebody for stepping a foot onto their property, for up to $50,000 and jail time.”

Whether they can legally shut down a publicly-maintained road across their private property is a legal gray area.

— Jay Howell, 670 KBOI News