First Intelligent Fire Detection Cameras Installed on Idaho Mountaintops
Thanks to the support of the Land Board and $50,000 in funding provided by the Idaho Legislature, IDL's first intelligent fire detection cameras have been installed and are now transmitting live images.
The cameras replace mountaintop lookouts and use AI technology to identify likely smoke on the horizon and report the smoke to human operators in dispatch for verification before firefighting resources are deployed.
The two cameras that are now live are part of a pilot project to test technology capable of recognizing smoke quickly so fires can be aggressively suppressed before they grow in size and cost. This is the first of an estimated 14 cameras that should be installed this year.
The cameras have advance features available to IDL fire managers and other authorized users including 40x optical zoom with additional digital zoom capabilities. Given public interest in wildfire, live feeds from the cameras are available online and will soon be embedded in IDL's website. Knowing that privacy is a key concern for many Idahoans, the system can be configured to blur private property that falls within cameras' lines of site.
The system IDL is testing also supports importing camera feeds from existing sources. For example, feeds from cameras maintained by other agencies or jurisdictions can be analyzed by the system's algorithms to look for smoke. This functionality opens the door for increased cross-agency collaboration to detect wildfires early and keep suppression costs low.
Because the system can identify land within camera viewsheds by ownership, entering into cost sharing agreements with public and private landowners may be possible, extending the state's investment in the technology even further.
If the system performs as expected, additional cameras will be added in the future.
IDL will soon launch a news release about this pilot program and make the camera feeds available to the public on www.idl.idaho.gov.
Using the Public Camera Feeds
The example of the live feed below is from the Lewiston Hill camera:
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The upper left hand box provides a read-time and time lapse view. The time lapse covers periods from 5 minutes to 12 hours.
- The upper right hand box shows the swath of land visible to the camera.
- The bottom halve of the screen shows a panoramic view. Using the sliding bar at the bottom allows the viewer to see a 360 degree panoramic view for the camera.
40th Anniversary State Forestry Contest
The 40th annual State Forestry Contest was held on Thursday, May 11, at Farragut State Park. About 350 students, 95 coaches/chaperones and 150+ volunteers participated.
Recognizing the contest as a training ground for future foresters, Director Miller addressed the entire group of students saying, "the Idaho State Forestry Contest helps Idaho students learn the skills to grow and harvest timber like we do at the Idaho Department of Lands, where we manage forests to generate funding for Idaho public schools.”
Chairman of the House Resources and Conservation Committee, Representative Ron Mendive (District 5 - Coeur d'Alene), and Representative Sage Dixon (District 1 - Ponderay) also joined Director Miller at the event. IDL is grateful they attended to show their support for the students.
During the contest children in grades 5 through 12 competed for scholarships and cash prizes in basic forestry and resource management.
For the Big 40 there was also special recognition of contest chairs spanning the last four decades, as well as an expanded job fair for the students.
Many leaders from Idaho's forestry industry have competed in past events. The contest is a steppingstone leading to great careers that help generate $2.5 billion for Idaho's economy.
The contest is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands, Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and hosted by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
IDL Streamlines Compliance Process for Forestry Operators, Timber Harvesting
IDL now offers private landowners a new online app to help simplify applying for the Compliance/Notification. More than 2.8 million acres of timberland in Idaho is privately owned.
To comply with the Idaho Forest Practices Act and the Idaho Forestry Act that regulate timber harvesting activities and after-harvest slash hazards, forest landowners must obtain a “Certificate of Compliance/Notification of Forest Practice” before harvesting.
The new app is located on the IDL Forest Practices Act webpage. The app allows the person to create a map online that displays their proposed harvest area and special cautions/features identified within that area that might impact how they harvest their land, including streams or steep slopes and erodible soils.
This provides the private forestland owners and managers access to the same information IDL uses when issuing a forest practice notification and slash hazard compliance.
Because an IDL Team Member Asked for It...
During the last legislative session, Senate Bill 1049 was passed by both chambers of the Idaho Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. Because this new law will help IDL address recreational impacts on endowment land...
Director Miller's Favorite Dad Joke This Week:
Q: Why are people who go camping on April 1 always tired?
A: Because they just finished a 31 day March.
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Maggie Creek Supervisory Area Award
NOAA presented a certificate to IDL's Maggie Creek Supervisory Area for 50 years of Weather Observations in cooperation with the National Weather Service. Alfred Allman is pictured below accepting the award.
Have You Heard How Many Timber Sale Notifications IDL Sent Last Year?
IDL sent more than 3,800 timber sale notifications via email and SMS/text messaging in the final six months of last year.
On average, each supervisory area has 170 Timber Sale Notification subscribers.
Inspired by the agency’s development of a Wildfire Alert system using the GovDelivery platform, the same system used to distribute this Director's Update newsletter, IDL launched a greatly improved Timber Sale Notification initiative in July of last year.
Under the new program, anyone can sign up to receive notifications for IDL timber sales via a self-serve form on the agency’s website.
Notifications are sent by both email and SMS/text messaging for endowment and Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) sales. The messages provide quick links to timber sale documents and connect users directly to the GIS-enabled timber sale app. Users can subscribe to receive notification from one of IDL’s ten supervisory areas or all.
The new system has been well received by industry. Because it also automatically posts the notifications to IDL’s website, purchasers can easily find sales information online without having to delve into the app.
Beyond ensuring potential bidders know auctions are scheduled, advertising timber sales more broadly helps the public understand the agency’s endowment mission and shows how IDL's GNA program helps improve the health of Idaho’s forests.
Safety News
Two important safety reminders were sent out this week in IDL's Safety News.
AED Refresher
With the recent distribution of updated AED Pads to all IDL offices and engines, it seems like a good time to recommend refresher training for AED usage.
All IDL employees are required to be First Aid/CPR/AED trained, and many have recently participated in this training. But if your certification is over a year old, it's a good time to refamiliarize yourself with the operation of an AED.
Drowsy Driving
As we move into summer, many of you will be on the roads more, traveling to meetings and trainings, fire assignments, and generally getting out more.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that every year about 100,000 police-reported, drowsy-driving crashes result in nearly 800 fatalities and about 50,000 injuries.
Drowsy driving kills, but it is preventable. Sleepiness can result in crashes any time of the day or night, but three factors are most commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes.
For more details and helpful tips read this week's edition of our safety newsletter. An archive of past issues is also available online.
Change in Compensation - Coming Soon!
Exciting news! The moment we've all been waiting for is just around the corner. IDL expects to receive final approval for our Change in Compensation (CEC) plan in the coming days.
As the agency gears up for its implementation, you are invited to attend one of three presentations that will provide an overview of how the Change in Compensation (CEC) was developed. We will discuss the legislative process surrounding the CEC and share how IDL works to create our agency specific plan. Questions will also be answered!
Attend one of these three conveniently scheduled sessions to learn more:
- Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 2:00 PM MST
- Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 4:00 PM MST
- Friday, June 2, 2023, at 9:00 PM MST
Please watch for more information via email.
Rulemaking for Senate Bill 1049 - Recreation on Endowment Land
With Senate Bill 1049 slated to go into effect on July 1, IDL team members from Operations and Communications have worked to develop a draft rule. Rulemaking is an essential component of the new law because without rules, the warning and infraction components of the law are not enforceable.
The rulemaking is needed to define the types of actions or activities that are restricted or prohibited.
IDL and stakeholders who developed the legislation recently met with staff from the Governor's Division of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs to secure authorization from that agency to begin the negotiated rulemaking process. The Land Board authorized IDL to enter into negotiated rulemaking last month.
A draft copy of the new rule has been provided to IDL area managers for internal review.
Women in the Woods Opportunity – Training for Forestland Owners
Men in beards and flannel move over, women are headed into the forest for a Women in the Woods workshop today in Sandpoint. While the event is open to everyone, Women in the Woods provides a wide range of training geared for women by women foresters to give them hands-on experience, inspiring more active participation in managing family-owned forests.
Women landowners play an increasingly important role in forest management decisions, but they are often in the minority at forestry education events in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) hopes to change that trend by hosting women-centric forestry trainings.
This is the second event taught by women foresters from IDL and the University of Idaho Extension (UI Extension).
“We had a fabulous event in March with 40 women participating in Connecting Women in Forestry,” said Erika Eidson, IDL Forest Health Specialist and workshop co-host. “This is another opportunity for women forestland owners to interact with professional women foresters. We will work in small groups so it’s easy to ask questions and gain confidence in managing family forests.”
There is no cost to participate. Attendees will be out in the woods, rotating through different exercises covering forest assessment and forestry work on the ground.
Doubling Down on Dad Jokes
Just when you thought the jokes couldn't get worse...
Q: Why did the burglar go camping?
A: Criminal intent.
Batter Up!
Back in the big league, athletes from the Coeur d’Alene Staff Office returned to the ballfield, reviving the tradition of recreational softball. Wednesday was opening night.
Although IDL outscored Sage Creek 7-2 in the final three innings of the game, our team's late rally couldn't close the gap on the scoreboard. The final tally after the last out favored Sage Creek who won 14-7. While our team didn’t hit it out of the park this time, they had fun, and it is all about the fun!
With nine more games remaining this season, we're certain winds of change will arrive with the summer monsoon and favor IDL at the ballpark. Games are held on Wednesday nights throughout the spring and early summer.
Meet the Team
Bjorn "Home Run" Jordon, Jessica Worth, Amber Honsaker, Isabella Valdez, Archie Gray, Shannon McCormick, Adrienne Morrow, Spencer Hansen, Jackie treat, Kyle Seigley, and Jeremy Shawver. Cameron Bennett, Hailey Frank, and Corrie Ivey take the field as alternates as needed.
Employees Leaving IDL
We wish departing team members the very best in their new endeavors.
- Adrienne Morrow, Coeur d'Alene Staff Office
In Case You Missed It
Here's a recap of other recent IDL newsletters you may find interesting:
One Team One Voice Newsletter Archive
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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