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KIVI-TV Today's Channel 6: Boise Green Living
Green Living: Protecting Idaho's Hot Springs

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Getting here starts with a dip in cool water. You ford a mountain river to get to something much more comfortable...a warm, natural hot spring.

Josh Laughtland comes here often. He's a hot springs junkie. In a state like Idaho, it's easy to get his fix. There are 340 hot springs in Idaho. Most are just a trickle. It's the soakable ones that get the most attention. They get so much attention that many of these places are getting trashed.

"A lot of the hot springs that are more accessible off a road or a short hike you are really seeing a lot of garbage," says Laughtland.

Before every soak, Laughtland cleans up what he can. It's a small part of his green living mantra. The bigger part is simply being out here.

"We live here in Idaho," says Laughtland. "It's so easy to come out and just reconnect with nature."

That's a message Josh wants to share. In 1999, he started the idahohotsprings.com website. It's a directory to relaxing soaks across the state. His theory is simple: guide people to the outdoors so they can see for themselves.  

"You get to see firsthand how important the environment is and why we need it," says Laughtland. "You can see how important it is to save wildlife if you see wildlife firsthand."

Not that he doesn't question the wisdom of advertising what he wants to protect.

"I've always worried about that," says Laughtland. "Am I bringing the wrong kind of people out here? Am I creating more harm than good? I look at the site as an opportunity to educate those that would come out here."

And with more and more people visiting these outdoor sanctuaries much more education is needed.

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