U of I CNR Advisory Board Meeting
This week Director Miller attended the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources (CNR) Spring Advisory Board meeting and awards banquet in Moscow. The director currently serves as the vice chair of the advisory board.
The board discussed items that included priority initiatives of the college, student enrollment, budgets and fundraising. The board also heard several presentations from students who are involved in many of the natural resources clubs in the college.
Outstanding students and faculty of the CNR were recognized at the awards banquet Friday night.
The director met a handful of graduating seniors that will be coming to work for IDL shortly after they graduate! Always telling the IDL story, he tried to recruit a few more graduates. Miller said it was fun to see the excitement and passion these natural resource young professionals display.
IDL Budget Update: Bills Clear House and Senate
This year IDL's budget is split among three bills in the Legislature. The bills have been approved by the House and the Senate.
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Senate Bill 1117 provides Fiscal Year 2023 supplemental funding (additional funding for the current fiscal year) in the amount of $1,171,400 to purchase equipment for the Cottonwood Fire Protective District in Eastern Idaho and for firefighting equipment for use across the state. This legislation passed in the Senate with a 23-10-2 vote and in the House with a 54-12-4 vote. Yesterday it was delivered to the Governor. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Van Burtenshaw (District 31 - Terreton, ID) and Rep. Britt Raybould (District 34 - Rexburg, ID).
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Senate Bill 1123 corrected an error in IDL's Fiscal Year 2023 budget that appropriated $80,900 for IDL's Business Services from the wrong fund. This correction has no net impact on our budget. This bill passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by the Governor on Tuesday. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Julie VanOrden (District 30 - Pingree, ID) and Rep. Wendy Horman (District 32 - Idaho Falls).
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Senate Bill 1174 provides Fiscal Year 2024 funding for IDL in the amount of $86,205,900, authorizes 355.27 full time equivalent (FTE) positions, and fund's IDL's 12 decision unit requests. It also includes Fiscal Year 2023 supplemental funding for seasonal employee housing in the Maggie Creek Supervisory Area and for a study of the effectiveness for using ground-based fire retardant for fire mitigation. This legislation passed in the Senate with a 26-9-0 vote and in the House with a 48-16-6 vote. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Van Burtenshaw (District 31 - Terreton, ID) and Rep. Britt Raybould (District 34 - Rexburg, ID).
HOUSE VOTE TOTALS FOR SB1174 ON 3/24/23
Governor Little Signed Endowment Land Recreation Bill into Law
On March 20,Governor Little signed Senate Bill 1049 into law, stakeholder legislation designed to help address recreational impacts on endowment land.
Over the past year IDL worked on this legislation with a broad group of stakeholders including the Idaho State ATV Association, Idaho Sportsmen, Idaho Cattle Association, Idaho Recreation Council, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, Idaho Recreation Council, and the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association.
The new law was sponsored in the House by Rep. Jerald Raymond (District 31 - Menan, ID) and in the Senate by Sen. Mark Harris (District 35 - Soda Springs, ID).
Oil and Gas Bill Passes both the House and the Senate
IDL's Oil and Gas bill originally passed the House 62-6-2 on March 9. It was amended in the Senate and HB120aaS passed the Senate 26-9-0 on March 29 and on March 30 was passed by the House 68-1-1.
The bill now heads to the Governor's desk.
Micro-Learning: LUMA SCO Dashboard and LUMA Q&A
IDL staff will have the opportunity to learn more about the new LUMA system. Three micro-learning sessions are available in April. Here is what is in store for the learning sessions:
Goal:
- Get the inside scoop on LUMA!
- Find out what this exciting new system means for you and your work.
- Learn the ins and outs of the SCO Dashboard and how to log in.
- This is the key to unlocking everything LUMA has to offer!
- Have all your burning LUMA questions answered.
- Use this opportunity to ask questions you may have about this game-changing system.
Attendance is not mandatory, but everyone is encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to get set up with the SCO Dashboard and discover all the incredible benefits of LUMA.
The three date options are:
- Tuesday, April 4, 2023 – 3:30 pm MT
- Wednesday, April 5, 2023 – 10:00 am MT
- Monday, April 10, 2023 – 2:00 pm MT
Arbor Day Grant Winners Announced
The Arbor Day Grant was awarded to 37 applicants this year. The $300 grants will be used to help communities with their Arbor Day celebrations and to increase awareness regarding the benefit of trees. Idaho Nursery and Landscape Association (INLA) is the administrator of this year's grants.
The funds can be used to purchase trees/shrubs and related planting/care materials from INLA member nurseries.
Grant dollars are distributed on a reimbursement basis and a 25% match (cash or in-kind) is required by the recipient communities. Notification will be sent to all 37 applicants along with a copy of the "Winners List".
Grants are made possible by donations from Idaho Power, Avista and Rocky Mountain Power.
Urban Wood Utilization - Making The Most of Trees When They Are Done Being Trees
We often promote the many benefits that trees in urban environments provide for people who live among them, but there are times when community trees need to be removed for risk mitigation, new construction, and a variety of other reasons.
The March edition of Idaho Community Trees, IDL's Urban and Community Forestry Newsletter, explains ways the wood products created by these removals can become a recognized instead of a waste stream.
READ THE MARCH EDITION OF IDAHO COMMUNITY TREES
 One of several benches that were made from reclaimed urban wood in McCall - these benches will last forever! They can be enjoyed at Legacy Park. Photo Courtesy McCall Parks and Recreation.
Fast Facts for Board Members Webpages
The 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.
Employees Leaving IDL
We wish departing team members the very best in their new endeavors.
- Sebastian Ianora, Southwest Supervisory Area
- Aubrey Stevens, Pend Oreille Lake 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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