Conservation Voters for Idaho (CVI) advocates for environmentalist legislation, promotes higher voter engagement, and endorses political candidates to support left-of-center conservation and equity policies in state and local legislatures in Idaho. Through its work and the work of its affiliated Education Fund and Action Fund, it does state and local lobbying, voter education, advocacy workshops, and political candidate endorsements and support. ¹

Donors to the CVI include the League of Conservation Voters, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the Green Advocacy Project, the Water Foundation, ² and the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund super PAC. ³

Background

Conservation Voters for Idaho works to elect environmentalist candidates to office through endorsements and voter education and engagement. It lobbies for conservation legislation by attending legislative sessions and building relationships with legislators to communicate its policy priorities. ⁴ CVI was founded in 2005. ⁵

Conservation Voters for Idaho’s priorities include land and water conservation; federal, local, and state climate and energy related legislation; voter engagement; and public transportation and electric vehicle infrastructure. ⁶

CVI addresses its priorities through lobbying for conservation legislation in the state and local municipalities and counties, holding voter education programs, hosting advocacy workshops, offering resources on environmental legislature and officials’ voting records, and endorsing political candidates who support its conservation agenda. ^{4 7 8}

Affiliated and Partner Organizations

The Conservation Voters for Idaho Action Fund is CVI’s political action committee. It engages directly in political campaigns and financially supports the candidates it endorses. ¹

The Conservation Voters for Idaho Education Fund educates voters on conservation issues and encourages civic engagement. ⁹ Its Boards and Commissions Fellowship Program is focused on increasing the diversity of Idaho’s elected representatives by recruiting and training “women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented groups” to serve on Idaho’s public boards and commissions. ¹⁰ CVI shares staff and some expenses with Conservation Voters for Idaho Education Fund. ¹¹

CVI partners with PODER of Idaho which organizes Hispanic Americans and immigrants in Idaho “for social, racial, gender, and economic justice.” ^{1 12}

Political Endorsements and Issues

In 2019, the Conservation Voters for Idaho endorsed Lauren McLean for Boise Mayor. McLean is a registered Democrat. CVI successfully endorsed her for re-election in 2023. ^{13 14} It raised over $518,000 in support of McLean, who has created a climate action plan and implemented legislation to support climate initiatives. This was CVI’s largest political program in its history. ¹⁵

In 2022, Conservation Voters for Idaho supported the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to “invest in an equitable transition to clean energy.” ¹⁶

In 2024, the Conservation Voters for Idaho Action Fund contributed to Stronger Idaho, along with the Idaho Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Stronger Idaho supported Democrats exclusively in the 2024 elections. ¹⁶

In 2024, CVI endorsed Emma Ray and Cindy Riegel for the Teton Valley Commission. Ray and Riegel are both Democrats. ^{17 18 19}

In addition to candidates, in 2024 the CVI contributed $25,000 in support of the unsuccessful Proposition 1 which would have replaced party primaries with a top four primary and would institute ranked choice voting for general elections. ²⁰ This measure was favored by the Idaho Democratic Party. ¹⁶

CVI publishes an annual Legislative Voting Record that lists the bills supported by CVI and each bill’s outcome. In 2024, CVI focused on 17 bills associated with “advancing clean energy and public lands policy, protecting your right to vote, and stopping the encroachment of far-right extremism.” ²¹

Major bills that CVI supported included additional budget allocations for the Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources to build on electrical grid modernization and the electric vehicle charging infrastructure and budget allocation for the state’s Department of Environmental Quality for “clean energy and climate funding.” ²¹

Financials

In 2023, Conservation Voters for Idaho reported revenues of $627,644 and expenses of $756,905. ²² Much of its funding comes from individuals. Additional past donors include the League of Conservation Voters, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the Green Advocacy Project, the Water Foundation, ² and the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund super PAC. ³

CVI has donated heavily to Boise Fact Check, a political action committee (PAC) that is also funded by the Engineers Political Education Committee, a PAC associated with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Open Democracy PAC, and the Global Impact Social Welfare Fund. ³

Leadership

Rialin Flores was executive director of Conservation Voters for Idaho until June 2024. Flores graduated from Boise State University with a major in political science. She was finance director and campaign coordinator for former state Senator Nicole LeFavour (D-Boise) in 2012, and worked for the local Planned Parenthood Federation of America organization for three years. She joined CVI in 2016 and was its executive director for four years. ²³

Alexis Pickering became Conservation Voters for Idaho’s executive director in May 2024. Pickering was the program manager for the Western Idaho Community Health Collaborative. She was elected in 2020 and is still the president of the Ada County Highway District commission. ²⁴

Colin Todd became the CVI board chair in January 2022. He originally joined the board in January 2021.  Todd is a financial planner and investment adviser. He is the principal at financial services company Arc Advisers. ²⁵

1. Conservation Voters for Idaho Impact Report 2022-2023. Conservation Voters for Idaho. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/wp-content/uploads/Impact-Report.pdf
2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer search. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?sort=best&form%5B%5D=IRS990ScheduleI&q=72-1599019&submit=Apply
3. Margaret Carmel. “Dueling PACs: Four political action committees spending for McLean, Masterson in Boise mayor’s race.” Boise Dev. November 3, 2023. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://boisedev.com/news/2023/11/03/boise-2023-mayor-pacs/
4. “The CVI Mission.” Conservation Voters for Idaho. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/our-mission/
5.  Mike Butts. “A Community United: Conservation Voters works to preserve environment.” September 17, 2012. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.idahopress.com/members/a-community-united-conservation-voters-works-to-preserve-environment/article_7f5019d6-008e-11e2-9b3a-0019bb2963f4.html
6. “Top Priorities.” Conservation Voters for Idaho – What We Do. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/
7. Conservation Voters for Idaho Inc. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part III). 2023.
8. LinkedIn – Conservation Voters for Idaho. Posted January 2025. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/conservation-voters-for-idaho/posts/?feedView=all
9. “Democracy & Civic Engagement.” Conservation Voters for Idaho Education Fund. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cviedfund.org/civic-engagement/
10.  “Boards & Commissions Program.” Conservation Voters for Idaho Education Fund. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cviedfund.org/boards-commissions/
11. Conservation Voters for Idaho Inc. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Schedule O). 2023.
12. Poder of Idaho homepage. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.poderofidaho.org/
13. “Lauren McLean.” Ballotpedia. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Lauren_McLean
14. “Conservation Voters for Idaho wins in Boise mayoral, city council races.” Conservation Voters for Idaho, Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/press-release-conservation-voters-for-idaho-wins-in-boise-mayoral-city-council-races/
15. “November 8: From the Desk of the Executive Director.” Conservation Voters for Idaho. November 8, 2023. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/november-8-from-the-desk-of-the-executive-director/
16.  Maxford Nelsen. “Analysis: 93% of Idaho Teachers Union Political Spending Benefited Democrats in 2024.” Freedom Foundation. February 17, 2025. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.freedomfoundation.com/labor/analysis-93-of-idaho-teachers-union-political-spending-benefited-democrats-in-2024/
17. “Conservation Voters for Idaho endorse Emma Ray and Cindy Riegel for Teton County Commission.” Buckrail. October 22, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://buckrail.com/conservation-voters-for-idaho-endorse-emma-ray-and-cindy-riegel-for-teton-county-commission/
18. Facebook – East Idaho News. Posted October 27, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/EastIdahoNews/posts/956768776488261/
19. Isabella Sosa-Salazar. “Emmy Ray and Ron James battle for Teton County Commissioner District 3.” East Idaho News. Updated October 27, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/10/emma-ray-and-ron-james-battle-for-teton-county-commissioner-district-3/
20. Kevin Richert. “The money race: Some last-minute campaign finance thumbnails.” Idaho News. November 4, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.idahoednews.org/kevins-blog/the-money-race-some-last-minute-campaign-finance-thumbnails/
21. “2024 Idaho Legislative Voting Record.” Conservation Voters for Idaho. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/wp-content/uploads/2024-Idaho-Legislature-Voting-Record-1.pdf
22. Conservation Voters for Idaho Inc. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part I). 2023.
23. LinkedIn – Rialin Flores. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rialin-flores-4b798553/
24. “Conservation Voters for Idaho Announces Next Executive Director.” Conservation Voters for Idaho. April 10, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://cvidaho.org/press-release-conservation-voters-for-idaho-announces-next-executive-director/
25. LinkedIn – Collin Todd. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-todd-cfp%C2%AE-3b98a0a/