Superintendent Critchfield Visited IDL Fire Cache in Coeur d'Alene
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and Director Miller visited IDL's Interagency Fire Cache in Coeur d’Alene last week. They met with IDL team members who explained the skillsets the agency needs and how Career Technical Education (CTE) can help fill skill gaps. Critchfield’s visit coincides with national CTE Month.
Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) Director Colby Mattila joined Superintendent Critchfield to see first-hand local opportunities for placing CTE graduates in good paying state jobs.
Critchfield spent time ahead of the tour visiting the Coeur d'Alene Staff Office and the Mica Area Office.
WATCH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE
Director Miller attended Society for Range Management National Meeting
The Society for Range Management National Meeting was held in Boise this week at the Grove Hotel. Director Miller and many IDL range staff attended this information packed event with multiple speakers, panel discussions and a trade show.
A key theme discussed during the conference was working across borders.
Ecological forces pay no attention to the ownership and political borders that humans put on maps. Working across boarders is how effective land managers can address rangeland realities including wildfire, weed invasion, wildlife, rivers and streams, and climate.
IDL Participates in 21st Annual Foresters Forum
IDL foresters from across the state convened in Coeur d'Alene last week for the annual Forester Forum. Hosted by Northwest Management, Inc. and Riley Stegner and Associates, for 21 years this event has promoted professional growth in the forest and natural resources industry.
The agenda included strong representation from Team IDL.
State Forester Craig Foss kicked off the first full day of the event with well-received opening remarks to an engaged crowd of 297. Adriene Morrow, IDL's Stewardship/Regulatory Program Specialist, presented on the Forest Practices Act in a panel discussion with other experts from Washington and Montana.
During a dinner with industry executives, Director Miller discussed IDL's significant work and progress towards modernizing the state's wildland fire program, and the status of master fire agreement negotiations.
Director Miller Joined Governor Little at Bruneau Capital for a Day
Today Director Miller and IDL's Southwest Area manager Dean Johnson participated in the Governor's Capital for a Day event in Bruneau. IDL manages 327,883 acres in Owyhee County.
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Approximately 30,000 acres of state endowment lands in Owyhee County have been treated for juniper encroachment since 2019 to improve sage grouse habitat.
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After more than a decade of work, the Owyhee Land Exchange was completed in the fall of 2022.
- IDL exchanged 23,878 acres of endowment land in the wilderness area for 31,030 acres of BLM land outside the wilderness boundaries.
- FY22 endowment distributions for the school districts in the county included:
- Marsing Joint School District, $157,282.56
- Bruneau-Grand View Joint School District, $106,874.55
- Homedale School District, $224,652.79
IDL Legislative Presentations
Senate Resources and Environment Committee
Dustin Miller and Josh Harvey were well received by the Senate Resources Committee on Monday, February 13. They presented information about IDL's fire modernization efforts.
House Resources and Conservation Committee
Dustin Miller and Josh Harvey's presentation Monday, February 13 about IDL's fire modernization efforts left the House Resources Committee wanting more. The Committee invited them back for an additional presentation to discuss performance measures.
House Education Committee
Scott Phillips and Chris Anton, EFIB Manager of Investments, appeared before the House Education Committee on Wednesday, February 15. They delved into the history behind Idaho's endowment lands, explained why the Board must act with undivided loyalty when making decisions impacting the beneficiaries, and covered how the land and financial assets are managed as parts of one trust.
Legislation to Prevent Recreational Damage on Endowment Land
Senate Bill 1049 - Endowment Land Notices, Restrictions is making its way through the legislature. On Monday, February 13 the bill reported out of the Senate Resources & Environment Committee with a Do Pass Recommendation. It is currently on the Third Reading Calendar.
More than 96% of all endowment land is open for public access and recreation. Unfortunately, bad actors sometimes damage endowment land and degrade its potential for making money for endowment beneficiaries. Repairing the land can be expensive.
In extreme cases, a last and unwanted course of action is to close parcels of endowment land to public access.
IDL knows education and enforcement are critical tools for changing bad behavior and preventing recreational damage on endowment land.
To assist IDL, law enforcement currently has only one tool, misdemeanor or felony criminal trespass charges. Issuing a misdemeanor can be a sledgehammer approach to addressing minor abuse where an infraction would be more appropriate.
SB1049, sponsored by Senator Mark Harris, would create an infraction-level option that includes provisions for a warning.
This new bill drew heavily from IDL's legislative attempt in 2021 to prevent recreational damage to endowment land. A diverse group of stakeholders, including the Idaho State ATV Association, Idaho Sportsmen, Idaho Recreation Council, and Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association developed the legislation over the past year. Their boards voted earlier this winter to endorse the legislation. IDL, Idaho Cattlemen Association, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, and Rep. Mike Kingsley also had a seat at the table were the bill was developed.
Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Legislation
HB120 OGCC Oil and Gas Statute
In August 2021, the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission directed staff to study Idaho Code § 47-3, Oil and Gas Wells – Geologic Information and Prevention of Waste, and make recommendations for improving the law based on lessons learned since 2017 when the statutes were modernized by the Idaho Legislature.
Learn more about the public process used to develop this legislation by visiting IDL's 2023 Legislative Priorities webpage.
The Bill
- Provides additional guidance to operators, mineral interest owners and the state
- Improves and clarifies reporting guidelines for operators
- Changes the makeup of the commission by removing the Director of the Department of Lands
- Updates the technical requirements of commissioners to better reflect the needs in Idaho
- Defines just and reasonable terms for integration
Status Update
- 02/09 House Resources and Conservation Committee unanimously approved the bill to be printed.
- 02/10 Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
- 02/13 Reported Printed and Referred to House Resources & Conservation Committee
Fast Facts for Board Members Webpages
The Land Board will next meet on Tuesday, February 21 at 9:00 am MT. The meeting will be held in he Boise City Council Chambers at city hall.
The new online resource for Land Board members and their staff, Fast Facts for Board Members, contains links to meeting materials and more. These webpages provide general information about IDL, contact information for executive staff, outline the agency's authorities.
IDL IT Extends a Helping Hand to Idaho State Forestry Contest
For the past 39 years Idaho's State Forestry Contest has introduced students to forest and resource management, inspiring generations to pursue careers in natural resources.
We're excited to report the ruby jubilee of the contest, scheduled for May 11, 2023, at Farragut State Park, now features bigger scholarships for the kids and improved technology thanks to IDL's IT team.
IT staff modernized an application to calculate scores for individual participants and teams. As an outcome, the new version of this product is more stable and user friendly. IT also collaborated with contest planners to understand their business needs. Future iterations of the app will help streamline contest administration even more.
Employees Leaving IDL
We wish departing team members the very best in their new endeavors.
- Ty Groth, Cataldo Forest Protective District
- Kelsey McCaslin, Coeur d'Alene Staff Office
- David Crousser, Maggie Creek Supervisory Area
In Case You Missed It
One Team One Voice Webpage
Did you miss some important news? Are you curious about knowing what's happening across IDL? Our One Team, One Voice webpage contains an archive of IDL's newsletters covering:
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