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Proceeds from the Idaho Forest license plate being used to celebrate Arbor Day
KIVI, 3-27-23
BOISE, Idaho — The State of Idaho offers over 40 specialized license plates at the DMV, most of which contribute a portion of the fees collected to support the cause featured on the plate.
The same holds true for the Idaho Forest License Plate. The forest plate debuted in 1997 and was the 2nd special plate offered in the state, with proceeds going toward restoration projects or forest education programs. Today, it has provided over $1 million to the cause.
During the recent Idaho State Land Board of Commissioners meeting in Boise, the board approved the use of some of the funds collected from the plate to pay for Arbor Day activities and education around the state to celebrate trees. Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated on the last Friday in April, and this year is on April 28.
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Fire programs scheduled:
Once mud season ends, wildfire season will begin. Two free community programs are offered to help people prepare. The first event is offered by the Friends of Kooskia Library on Saturday, April 8, 9:30 a.m.-noon at the Kooskia Community Center. The session is designed to provide property owners with practical information about actions they can take to reduce wildfire risk to their property. Erica Jansen of Idaho Firewise will explain how to create defensible space around your home. Sandi Paul of Idaho County Fire Mitigation will explain fuel reduction and preventive actions.
On Saturday, April 15, University of Idaho extension is planning the program with Idaho Firewise, Idaho Department of Lands, Kamiah Fire Rescue, Nez Perce Tribe Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service. The program will provide a chance for rural landowners to learn how to lessen their risk by modifying houses and landscapes. Seating is limited. Sign up by Monday, April 10, with Audra Cochrane, Lewis County’s extension educator. Call 208-937-2311 or email audrac@uidaho.edu.
Oil and gas bill fuels week’s activity
Argus Observer, 3-21-23
PAYETTE COUNTY — Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? That’s the question with multiple possible answers, depending on how you look at the workload of 555 pieces of legislation which have come forward during the 2023 Idaho Legislative Session.
Following are examples of bills which have seen significant action since March 10.
• House Bill 120: From the Resources and Conservation Committee, this bill would amend Idaho Code Section 47 to “revise provisions regarding the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, spacing units, oil and gas wells, the integration of tracts, reporting requirements, public data, confidentiality of well and trade information, rules, and royalties and to provide for minimum surface use bonds” according to its summary.
The bill was introduced Feb. 10 and passed the House 62-6-2 on March 9. It was filed for a first reading in the Senate on March 10.
Vice President Kamala Harris linked wildfires that increasingly plague western states with climate change Monday and announced the Biden administration will distribute $197 million to help snuff them before they start.
The money, in the form of grants and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will go to 100 local governments, tribes and nongovernmental organizations in 22 states to mitigate fire risk. That includes $194,000 that Idaho Firewise, a Moscow-based nonprofit organization, will use to expand its work in Idaho County.
...
The Idaho Department of Lands is getting a $690,000 grant to build fuel breaks in Clark County in eastern Idaho. The Washington Department of Natural Resources will receive about $25 million for 14 projects across the state.
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Forest fires are a fact of life in the Inland Northwest. Homes located on forested lands (the “wildland interface”) can be at high risk from forest fires. Rural homeowners can lessen that risk if they modify their houses and landscapes to make them less likely to ignite and easier for firefighters to access.
On Saturday, April 15, a 3-hour “Community Fire Resources Workshop” will offer rural homeowners an opportunity to learn about fire resources available to them, discuss their wildland fire experiences, and learn how to assess their homes’ interface fire risk.
The Community Fire Resources Workshop will be held on Saturday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Kamiah Chamber of Commerce meeting room (located at 518 Main St. in Kamiah).
The program can accommodate a limited number of people. Those wishing to participate should pre-register at the University of Idaho Extension Office in Lewis County by Monday, April 10.
This program is free and handouts, materials, and refreshments will be provided.
For registration questions, contact the University of Idaho Extension Office in Lewis County at (208) 937-2311 or audrac@uidaho.edu.
This program is being held in conjunction with the Idaho Firewise, Idaho Department of Lands, Kamiah Fire and Rescue, Nez Perce Tribe Forestry and Fire, and US Forest Service Fire Division.
The 40th Annual Forestry Contest is May 11, 2023 at Farragut State Park in Athol this year.
The annual contest introduces students in grades 5 through 12 to basic forestry and resource management. The event creates an opportunity for these professionals and students to interact in a hands-on environment.
The contest is typically held the second Thursday in May and is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands, Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). More than 250 volunteers donate their time to run the contest and a record 700 students participated in 2019.
Feds to send nearly $200 million to help communities prepare for wildfires
Idaho Capital Sun, 3-20-23
The Biden administration will send $197 million from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to help communities prepare for wildfires this summer, Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials said Monday.
The funding represents the first round of a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program authorized under the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed in November 2021. Grants in the first year of the program would be available for more than 100 projects in 22 states, according to a White House fact sheet.
PROJECTS FUNDED IN IDAHO
Idaho Department of Lands, Clark County Roadside Fuel Breaks
$690,000 for implementation of 53 miles, roughly 260 acres, of right-of-way fuel breaks in an expanse of sagebrush steppe. It would result in improved wildfire protection for the Wildland Urban Interface communities of 700 residences/structures in Dubois, Kilgore, Spencer, and Medicine Lodge.
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Virtual Tour Tuesday
Posted March 28, 2023
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State, federal, industrial and PRIVATE forest landowners all working together to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk.
Today, watch Stop 1 on the Scattered Lands Hazardous Fuels project virtual tour. Work focuses on 173,942 acres of high-risk forestlands in North Idaho.
Mondays Bug Me
Posted March 27, 2023
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#MondaysBugMe!
Look at where we look for the bugs that really bug us. Our aerial detection surveys locate, identify, and map insect damage agents and the impacted tree species across most forested lands in Idaho.
Map: https://loom.ly/q-FPW1U
Website with more info: https://loom.ly/Bt1VSqY
#OneTeam
#InsectsandDisease
#ForestHealth
#Idaho
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