According to Idaho News 6, a 72-year-old Navy veteran is taking on the city of Boise and a canal company in two lawsuits over a patch of land along the Boise River. His lawsuits have begun a debate about property rights, development, and local conservation in Idaho.
Christopher Burdge has claimed ownership of Sawmill Island, a narrow, overgrown strip of land wedged between the Boise River and a canal near a golf course. Burdge has alleged that the city of Boise and the Boise City Canal Company are trying to forcibly remove him to develop the land.
According to court filings, Burdge said he has openly lived on and maintained the island since 2017. Burdge is filing the lawsuit on the grounds of adverse possession — a legal doctrine that allows individuals to claim land if they occupy it continuously and without permission…