Justin Hayes is the media director of Neighbors Protecting Idaho. He previously was program director of the Idaho Conservation League.

Can you give me a brief description of what Proposition 2 is about?

Proposition 2 is a deceptive bait-and-switch measure that was put on our ballot largely by out-of-state real estate [investor] Howard Rich. You’ve probably stumbled across his name before on such things. We’re concerned because this is basically a way for irresponsible developers to get around Idaho’s locally created planning and zoning ordinances, it will cost Idaho taxpayers millions if not billions [of dollars] and it will forever change the ways our neighborhoods and communities are built and planned.

Give me an example, if you would, of what sorts of problems this might create if it were to pass?

Well, currently in Idaho, municipalities develop local planning and zoning ordinances that help shepherd the sort of development that’s compatible with existing neighborhoods, communities, and rural landscapes. If Howie Rich’s proposition were to [become] law in Idaho, that would be thrown out the window and irresponsible developers could fly in and decide that they want to put high-rise buildings in residential communities, force farmland to be subdivided into trophy homes — and that would disrupt and forever change the way Idahoans enjoy themselves.

Are there particular areas that you think are at risk?

You know, Idaho is such a great state. We see this time and time again: Cities in Idaho, or our state as a whole, listed in national lists and national publications as a great place to move to or a great place to come and do business in. There’s really no place in Idaho that’s safe [from development pressures], frankly. The existing cities and neighborhoods, I think, will see incompatible development shoved into them. And our rural communities, which are really sort of the agricultural backbone of our state — I think we’ll see those lands converted from farms and ranches to unplanned subdivisions, because they’ll be able to do that under this proposition. So really no place is safe.

You mentioned the involvement of Howard Rich. Is there someone in Idaho who appears to be serving as Rich’s point person for the state?

Howie Rich has a front man here in Idaho, a gentleman named Laird Maxwell. It’s interesting — the entire effort to put this proposition on our ballot was funded by Howie Rich, and there’s only one contribution from an Idaho person. Howie Rich put in over $300,000 and Laird Maxwell put in $50. So we’ve seen a multimillion-dollar real estate [investor] from New York City trying to shove this into Idaho, with a token Idahoan standing out front saying, “Idahoans support this.”

Has either side in Idaho begun any sort of advertising on the initiative?

We have not begun advertising through paid media, that sort of thing. I understand that there are some Internet-only ads, if you will, that have been circulating. They’re not really ads, they’re just PDFs and stuff that people have cobbled together that look a little bit like ads, but they’re being circulated on the Internet. I don’t think they’re showing up in paid media yet.

Are those on the “yes” side or on both sides?

I think that they’re on both sides, although the ones on the “no” side are not being coordinated by us. There’s a tremendous grass-roots effort being self-assembled by people who are suddenly aware that an out-of-state [investor] has shoved something onto our ballots and, if it were to pass, it would forever change Idaho. So you’re seeing a lot of people of all stripes just coming together and doing things on their own. There’s a lot happening and it’s sort of hard to track.

When did your group officially form?

I believe that we filed our paperwork with the state on [September] 21, so last Thursday.

What sort of response have you been getting? Have you been getting a lot of interest on the “no” side?

Absolutely. As people learn that a campaign is forming, we’re getting a lot of e-mails and phone calls trying to figure out how to plug in, wanting more information, wanting people in their community to be speakers at events, and that sort of stuff. It’s really a great grass-roots effort. It’s pulling together constituencies that don’t normally work together on most issues: the ranching and farming communities working with [the] environmental community. Many local developers who understand the value of planned growth are coming together with us, local chambers of commerce and businesspeople are coming together to protect Idaho, because what he have in Idaho now is special. It is a very attractive place for people to live and [for] businesses to come to. If Proposition 2 were passed, that would be thrown out the window, so people are really rallying around protecting Idaho.

Are you optimistic that Proposition 2 can be defeated?

I am optimistic. I think that once people learn how this will harm them, how this will hurt their communities, how it will hurt their neighborhoods, and how it will usher in an unprecedented era of unplanned, unwise growth that takes resources away from needed infrastructure and public safety to pay the claims of irresponsible developers, I know that people in Idaho will say to no to this. When you add to that the fact that this is being jammed down our throat by a multimillionaire from New York City, I think people will bristle at that. Idahoans, we’re traditionally fiercely independent. We don’t like being told what to do by out-of-state millionaires, and I don’t think that will play well here.