SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Idaho’s exploding population and growing tourism industry is causing more conflicts on the rangelands that ranchers depend on for their livelihoods.

More litter, “trigger trash,” trespassing, resource damage and human-caused wildfires, according to the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission. Trigger trash is garbage left behind by those who shoot targets.

“Conflict has continued to escalate,” Gretchen Hyde, executive director of IRRC said during the Idaho Cattle Association annual convention.

“This is not just a rancher issue,” she said.

The commission has had success in educating recreationists on Idaho’s rangelands and appropriate use to ensure their safety and long-term access to public lands. But not everyone is hearing or heeding the message.

Mark Pratt, an eastern Idaho rancher and president-elect of ICA, said he was recently gathering cattle when hunters in 15 utility terrain vehicles caught up to the trailing herd and started honking and yelling at the cattle.

UTV riders have also scarred the hills where he grazes his cattle, cutting new roads, and recreationists have camped on his private land, leaving a “horrible” mess and tearing up one of his ditches, he said.

In some cases, people know right from wrong but nobody’s challenging them on it. In other cases, they’re coming from places that don’t have public lands, and it would behoove ranchers to educate them, he said.

He’d like to have something in hand to give wrong-doers that explains appropriate behavior, he said.

Kent Oliver, president of Magic Valley ATV Riders, agreed.

“We’ve had a big influx in our state population-wise and with off-highway vehicles,” he said.

Kids are going to YouTube to learn what it’s all about, with videos of off-highway vehicles tearing all over the place, and marketers of off-highway vehicles are selling excitement, he said.

“It’s something we have to work on collectively,” he said.

There needs to be age-appropriate education programs that cover more than safety His group has been talking about that need and wants to network with ranchers, he said.

Clubs like his educate their members on rangeland etiquette and caring for the resource, but membership in off-highway vehicle clubs is declining, even as OHV purchases are increasing, he said.

He’s angry when he sees people have cut trails off the main Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service roads, he said.

“Idaho is one of those states that has very little open ride. Everything is stay on trails. I’m hoping we can curb this,” he said.

His group does voluntary cleanups and trail repair in the Snake Rim Canyon Park and has had bullets ring past members.

“The amount of shooting debris is unreal … debris and garbage is everywhere,” he said.

He’s seen camping in the South Hills southeast of Twin Falls where it’s not allowed, and “when these kids left you would have thought it was a landfill,” he said.

He’s also seen reclaimed land burned and water-retention ponds destroyed. Ranchers have seen their water troughs shot up, he said.

“We want to work with you because we’re not happy with what’s going on,” he said.

The rangeland commission has been fully engaged, partnering with land and wildlife agencies on education. But it needs to be an ongoing conversation, Hyde said.

“There’s a lot of issues going on, and we’re going to see more and more,” she said.