Idaho industry leaders reveal oppositions to Biden climate goals
KPVI, 11-18-21
Lobbyists from various Idaho industries, especially those tied to natural resources, on Thursday revealed concerns with President Joe Biden's proposals to tackle climate change. Those include reducing carbon emissions and conserving 30% of U.S. land and water resources, a noteworthy target in Idaho, where two-thirds of land is already owned by the federal government.
This year, Biden issued a series of executive orders laying out his climate goals and directing administration leaders to pursue them. On Thursday, the Idaho Legislature's interim Committee on Federalism hosted a discussion on the orders at the State Capitol in Boise. Political leaders of Idaho's farming, logging, banking and mining industries signaled to legislators their opposition to regulations that may come.
Dustin Miller, director of the Idaho Department of Lands, said he's unsure how the presidential administration will define "conservation."
"While the initiative does speak to the importance of restoring forests to a more resilient condition, which may in turn create jobs and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire, there are still too many unknowns with this initiative," Miller said. "The devil is in the details."
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Firefighters: Thousands battle blazes across the West
Capital Press, 11-18-21
Federal and state agencies are adding firefighters, boosting wages and increasing the number of full-time positions as managers anticipate more and bigger wildfires in the years ahead.
More than 11,300 federal firefighters were working on large fires in the U.S. as of early October. The year’s peak was above 19,000 in July. The record high, 32,700, was in September of 2020, as fire activity surged in the Northwest and California, said Jessica Gardetto of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.
The Idaho Department of Lands had 24 full-time fire personnel in 2021, the same as in 2020. Seasonal firefighters totaled 135, up four. The department this year also hired 35 temporary employees for its Interagency Supply Cache plus had 18 National Guard members.
“We are staffed such that we can provide rapid, aggressive initial attack,” said State Forester Craig Foss, who is based in Coeur d’Alene.
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Land board sees policy for endowment swaps
Star-News, 11-18-21
A proposed policy for considering exchanges of state endowment land was aired to the State Land Board on Tuesday in Boise.
The proposal says the Idaho Department of Lands would estimate land value by “highest and best use” instead of on the current use of the endowment lands, which are mostly used for grazing and timber management.
The lands department would also factor potential increases in value of the lands included in a land exchange to determine the better long-term value, under the draft policy.
The policy comes following the lands department’s rejection in August of a land exchange proposed by Trident Holdings of Boise to trade for over 21,000 acres of endowment land around Payette Lake.
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Capitol Christmas Tree to arrive at Capitol Monday
KIFI, 11-18-21
Governor Brad Little and First Lady Teresa Little invite Idahoans to view the Idaho State Capitol’s Christmas Tree and Capitol Christmas decorations beginning the week of Nov. 22.
This year’s tree is donated by David, Lisa and Delaney Beale. The tree is located at 1414 N. Harrison Boulevard in Boise.
Cutting begins about 9 a.m. Monday. Its journey to the Statehouse is estimated to begin sometime around 11:30 a.m.
The Idaho Department of Lands will cut and rig the tree for lifting, Boise Crane will load, and the Idaho Transportation Department will haul the tree to its destination at the Statehouse. Boise City Police will provide the escort.
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Valley County and United Payette come together to conserve endowment lands
BoiseDev, 11-16-21
The Valley County Board of Commissioners and United Payette entered a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, to protect endowment lands in North Fork Payette.
The MOU gives a structure for Valley County and United Payette to create a short-term agreement with the Idaho Department of Lands for the endowment land around Payette Lake. The non-exclusive agreements work to conserve open space, natural resources, and provide recreation sites for the public.
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After CBH backed out, state auctions farmland again, fetching another big premium
BoiseDev, 11-15-21
A half a square mile of former farmland near Caldwell has been auctioned off again after the previous buyer backed out.
BoiseDev previously told you about the state-owned land selling for $35.3 million in June, which was almost five times the appraisal amount of $6 million. The state sold the parcels to a Boise-based LLC associated with CBH Homes. However, several months later the buyer pulled out.
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Corey Barton backed out of pricey farmland deal. His competition just got a bargain
Idaho Statesman, 11-15-21
The nation’s largest luxury home builder walked away empty-handed last summer after Meridian builder Corey Barton bid $35.2 million for 282 acres of state-owned farmland near Caldwell.
Toll Brothers got the last laugh, however.
Last week, the Pennsylvania home builder saved $12 million by bidding for the same land after Barton, owner of CBH Homes, Idaho’s largest home builder, backed out of the deal, leading the Idaho Department of Lands to auction the parcels a second time.
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State to sell six parcels in McCall’s Pilgrim Cove
Star-News, 11-11-21
Six parcels of state land in McCall’s Pilgrim Cove Subdivision are set to be sold at public auction next month by the Idaho Department of Lands.
The public auction will begin on Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. at the Waters Edge Event Center in Eagle, located at 287 E. Shore Dr.
The six parcels are all unleased residential cottage sites. Two lots on Rainbow Lane and Water Lily Lane are lakefront, while the other four lots on John Alden Road are set back from the lake.
Minimum bids for the lots range from $175,000 to $1.4 million. Combined, the minimum bids would earn the lands department a total of $3.4 million.
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