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Idaho serial arsonist sentenced to five years in prison
KBOI2, 2-28-23
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — A serial arsonist pleads guilty to six counts of third-degree felony arson on February 16, 2023. Ryan N. Greene of Priest River, Idaho has been sentenced to concurrent five years of prison for each charge and five years indeterminate.
Mr. Green was responsible for several fires that occurred in Bonner County in July and August of 2022, during the height of wildfire season, according to Idaho State Fire marshal Knute Sandahl. "Thanks to the rapid and effective response by the West Pend Oreille Fire District and others, a major inferno was averted," said Sandahl.
As part of the plea deal, the US government agreed not to bring separate federal charges in connection to the summer 2022 fires. Greene was ordered to pay restitution and court costs of $245.50 per case for a total of $1,473.
Investigators from the Idaho State Fire Marshal's Office, Bonner County Sheriff, US Forest Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Explosives, US Department of Homeland Security, and Idaho Department of Lands collaborated over a two-month period to identify Greene as the perpetrator. Hundreds of hours of collaborative work were invested by all investigators. The State Fire Marshal's office spent approximately 120 hours on the case according to a release from the Idaho Department of Insurance.
"Anyone considering arson should know that we will investigate, and we will prosecute," stated Sandahl. "Arson is harmful to our state and affects state resources. We are appreciative of all of the other agencies who assisted us in bringing this individual to justice, and protecting Idahoans from devastating fires and those who start them."
Priest River man sentenced for setting wildfires in Bonner County
KREM2, 2-27-23
SANDPOINT, Idaho — A Priest River man was sentenced to prison in connection with a half-dozen wildfires set in western Bonner County in the summer of 2022.
Ryan Nathanial Greene, 23, entered Alford pleas to six counts of third-degree felony arson. In exchange, the state agreed to dismiss a persistence violator enhancement connected to each of the charges.
Under an Alford plea, a defendant admits no wrongdoing but concedes a guilty verdict could result following a trial. The plea is treated no differently than a standard plea of guilt at sentencing.
In a statement written by Greene, and included in court records, he admitted to setting "five or six fires" in the Priest River area in the summer of 2022 as well as three fires in 2021 in the same area.
State asks judge to throw out lingering Trident Holdings lawsuit over McCall land swap
BoiseDev, 2-27-23
A lawsuit brought by a Boise developer that hoped to overturn a state decision not to swap 26 square miles around McCall into the developer’s control has ground to a halt. And now the state wants it thrown out.
In September of 2021, BoiseDev told you about Trident’s petition for judicial review against the Idaho Department of Lands – challenging the agency’s decision to deny an intricate land swap proposal that would move much of the state endowment land in and around McCall from state ownership – to Trident’s private control.
The case had a few initial hearings in front of Fourth District Judge Samuel Hoagland in late 2021, with the two sides arguing over which documents should be considered by the court in the case.
Then, in February 2022, the case went silent.
Now, a year later, the state is asking Hoagland to throw out the lawsuit due to inactivity.
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Airports, EVs, roads, buses, more: $1.7 billion in infrastructure dollars pour into Idaho. Where are they going?
BoiseDev, 2-27-23
Another major project funded by the infrastructure package is $17 million from the U.S. Forest Service to work on revitalizing a span of over two million acres of forest in and around the Boise and Payette National Forests. This restoration work in partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands includes removing buildup of dead trees and other flammable material, removing invasive species, harvesting timber for sale and replanting more trees to replenish the forest.
Idaho State Forester Craig Foss said when forests aren’t managed properly, they can fill up with material that chokes out new trees from growing and increases the risk of large fires. This build up makes it harder to do any controlled burns, which are healthy for forests.
“If there hasn’t been any management of that forest, and a lot of our federal forest really since the decline of forest management back in the 80s hasn’t had much, we’ve got some of those landscapes that haven’t been treated for 50 or 60 years and you can’t just go in there are start burning because you’ll end up with forest fires.”
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Priest River man sentenced on arson charges
Bonner County Daily Bee, 2-26-23
SANDPOINT — A Priest River man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection to a half-dozen wildfires set in western Bonner County in the summer of 2022.
In the plea deal, Ryan Nathanial Greene, 23, entered Alford pleas to six counts of third-degree felony arson. In exchange, the state agreed to dismiss a persistence violator enhancement connected to each of the charges.
Under an Alford plea, a defendant admits no wrongdoing but concedes a guilty verdict could result following a trial. The plea is treated no differently than a standard plea of guilt at sentencing.
Greene was sentenced to 10 years in prison with five years fixed on each of the six arson charges, sentences to run concurrently.
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Landscape for Fire Prevention course offered by Extension Office
Coeur d'Alene Press, 2-22-23
A “Landscaping for Fire Prevention” workshop will offer rural homeowners an opportunity to learn fire prevention techniques, discuss their wildland fire experiences and participate in a simple exercise to assess their homes' interface fire risk March 4.
The program will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 302 at the University of Idaho Extension Office, 958 S. Lochsa St., Post Falls.
Anyone wishing to participate can pre-register at the by Friday.
A $10 registration fee covers handouts and refreshments.
Online registration is available for this program by going to uidaho.edu.
For registration questions, call 208-292-2525.
Groups of 10 or more who would commit to attending this program at a different time or place or have other questions on this program can contact Chris Schnepf at 208-292-1288.
The program is co-sponsored by University of Idaho Extension, Idaho Master Gardeners and the Idaho Department of Lands.
There will be an additional program in St. Maries on March 21.
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Now Hiring Dispatchers
Posted March 2, 2023
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2023 will be the 25th season of operation for the Coeur d’Alene Interagency Dispatch Center. DISPATCHING FOR WILDFIRE. There are typically 12 to 14 people on the crew.
**HIRING NOW ** Dispatch will supply any and all training. Watch the video to get to know the dispatch center.
Contact Beth Crowell at bcrowell@idl.idaho.gov to learn more about applying.
#OneTeam
#NotYourOrdinaryJob
#IdahoJobs
#Dispatch
Mondays Bug Me
Posted February 27, 2023
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#MondaysBugMe!
This is what the western pine beetle leaves behind. The bug is most damaging to trees growing under stress. Drought or fire-scorched trees and overstocked stands are most susceptible to attack.
See our forest pest fact sheet: https://loom.ly/n_FHYGs
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