WHEREAS, enemies of the United States, through acts of terrorism, have already attacked this nation's citizens and critical infrastructure; and

       WHEREAS, those enemies have demonstrated a continuing desire to overthrow this nation's government, it's military, and the economic base of this nation and each of its sovereign state.

       NOW, THEREFORE, I, DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Governor of the State of Idaho, by the authority vested in me under the Constitution and laws of this state hereby establish an Idaho Homeland Security Council for the purpose of conducting planning and information sharing between executive level representatives of private sector critical infrastructure and representatives of state, tribal, local, and special districts of governmental agencies charged with maintaining the public health, safety, and security of the people of the State of Idaho.

       It is the policy of the State of Idaho to strategically prepare its citizens and local communities, including private sector entities, within the budgetary and legal constraints imposed by the Legislature, to respond to, and recover from, the debilitating impact of both natural and man-caused disasters including paramilitary acts of terrorism and the potential use of weapons of mass destruction. Principal among those preparedness strategies is the protection of the state's critical infrastructure, upon which society depends to meet the basic essentials required for the preservation of life and economic survival. Critical Infrastructure is defined as "those systems and assets, physical or virtual, so vital to the well-being of the citizens of Idaho, that severely reduced capacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on public health, safety, security and/or the state and local economy."

       It shall be the mission of the Council to share information and planning resources in a protected environment under Section 9-340B, Idaho Code, to improve the capability of the public and private sectors to mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from major disasters, including acts of terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Council will, through the Council Chairman, make recommendations and periodically report its findings to the Governor.

       The Council shall establish and maintain, through the Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services, a system for exchanging meaningful threat information to executives of critical infrastructure organizations, first responders, local government, state agencies and those private nonprofit organizations that are critical to the health and well-being of the citizens of the State of Idaho.

       The Council shall develop recommendations that outline appropriate measures that could be implemented to assist public and private sector organizations with the protection of the state's critical infrastructure when credible threat information has been gathered from any source, and when there is a likelihood of attack on those assets and systems. Recommendations shall include measures for the operation of critical infrastructure when systems and assets are under duress as a result of threats, actual attacks of terrorism, or when the infrastructure is affected by major emergencies and natural or man-caused disasters.

       The Council shall develop recommendations to improve preparedness planning, including economic recovery initiatives that are mutually inclusive and compatible with local, tribal, state, and federal response and recovery plans.

       The Council shall be comprised of representatives of the following agencies and organizations:

Chairperson. In accordance with Section 46-1006, Idaho Code, the Adjutant General of the State of Idaho is the Governor's authorized representative for emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery from all hazards including paramilitary acts, such as terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction. The Adjutant General is hereby appointed as chair of the Idaho Homeland Security Council.

The Adjutant General shall recommend to the Governor the names of private and public sector executives to be appointed to the Idaho Homeland Security Council. Council members will be appointed by the Governor. Each appointed Council member shall chair a committee that will further reach out to those local, tribal, state and federal agencies and private organizations that are necessary to adequately plan and prepare for a successful response and recovery from acts of terrorism. The Adjutant General, acting on behalf of the Governor, may appoint private and public sector personnel to committees of the Council. All state agencies may be called upon by the Adjutant General to assist in planning and preparing for terrorism and the potential use of weapons of mass destruction.

Consolidation of State Terrorism Planning Activities:

       To ensure that all state agency terrorism-preparedness objectives are compatible, directors of state agencies and heads of self-governing state agencies will submit agency terrorism preparedness plans to the Adjutant General through the Bureau of Disaster Services.

       The Lieutenant Governor's Bioterrorism Planning Committee is, effective immediately, reformed under the Health Care and Medical Services Committee of the Idaho Homeland Security Council, chaired by the Director, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

       Council and committee members will serve without remuneration or reimbursement for expenses, including related travel and per diem to attend council and committee meetings and other related Council functions.

       Nothing in this Executive Order changes practices established by existing laws or previously established Executive Orders concerning preparedness for natural or man-caused disasters. Rather, this Executive Order establishes a central body for the review of terrorism plans and a preparedness activity at the state level that provides an avenue for private sector input and information sharing for the purpose of improving the survivability and operation of critical infrastructure in a terrorist environment.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at the Capitol in Boise on this eleventh day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and three and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred twenty-seventh and of the Statehood of Idaho the one hundred thirteenth.

BEN YSURSA
SECRETARY OF STATE