Weekly Fire Update
There are currently no major fires on IDL Protection. The 53 acre Hospital Fire in Orofino started Tuesday, August 29 and was 100% contained by Thursday, August 31. Unfortunately, six homes and numerous outbuildings were reported burned.
Given that recent precipitation and cooler temperatures have lowered the fire danger across Idaho's Panhandle, this morning fire restrictions were lifted in the Coeur d’Alene Dispatch Zone.
Although fire dangers are now lower across Idaho, and no restrictions are in place, IDL and its partners are reminding hunters and recreationists to continue to use caution.
View the Most Current Wildfire Report on IDL's Fire News Feed
Fire Restrictions
Widespread and abundant precipitation combined with cooler temperatures have lowered fire danger across the Idaho Panhandle, prompting public, state, and tribal land managers to lift all fire restrictions in the Coeur d’Alene Dispatch Zone as of Friday, September 1, at 12:01 a.m.
The Coeur d’Alene Dispatch Zone is comprised of all state, state endowment, federal, tribal, and private forestland and rangeland in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone Counties. This also includes National Forest System lands in Washington and Montana that are administered by the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.
Although burn season in Idaho remains closed until October 20, no portion of the state is currently under a fire restriction. IDL is actively encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to urge caution and act responsibly because much of the state still faces high or very high fire danger.
A map detailing fire restriction status for each zone can be found on IDL's website.
Idaho Department of Lands Auctions Four Priest Lake Lots for $6,006,000
On August 26, IDL sold four endowment-owned lakefront lots at Priest Lake for deeded ownership during a public auction. One unleased lot did not sell.
The public auction generated $6,006,000 which is $1,012,000 over the appraised value. Of the four properties sold, two had competitive bidding and two had only one bid. The competitive bidding resulted in a 120% overall increase above the appraised value.
All four leased properties auctioned today had homes on them. The land is owned by the public school endowment beneficiary and the cabins and other improvements on the land are owned by leaseholders as personal property. The auction was for the land only.
Three lessees successfully purchased their split estates. The winning bidder for the fourth was a non-lessee who will pay the amount bid for the land and the appraised value of the personal property, which will be reimbursed to the lessee.
The Idaho Constitution requires a public auction for the sale of state endowment trust lands, and IDL can accept no less than the appraised value of the properties.
IDL’s Fire Prevention Specialist Earns Highest Level of Fire Public Information Officer Certification
This summer while on a 21-day fire assignment in Alaska with the Great Basin Team 3, Jen Russell, IDL’s Fire Prevention Specialist, successfully completed the Complex Incident Management (CIM) field evaluation component of her public information officer (PIO) training.
This is the highest level of qualification for PIOs through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). She demonstrated her ability to implement principles and practices essential to both her and the team’s performance in the management of a complex incident.
NWCG provides national leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners. Idaho is represented on this group through its membership in the National Association of State Foresters.
NWCG’s primary objectives include:
- Establishing national interagency wildland fire operations standards, recognizing that the decision to adopt standards is made independently by the NWCG members.
- Developing wildland fire position standards, qualifications requirements, and performance support capabilities (e.g. training courses and job aids) that enable implementation of NWCG standards.
Future Proofing IDL
IDL's executive leadership continues to discuss how the priorities identified in the Future Proofing IDL strategic initiative dovetail with the agency's vision, Prepared for tomorrow’s natural resource challenges.
Here's an update on each of the six elements of the future proofing plan:
- Classification & Compensation: Intentionally monitor our pay and benefits to ensure we are utilizing our PC appropriation to hire, develop and retain the right people in the right positions most effectively.
- Office Facilities: Proactively plan for maintenance and replacement of our offices throughout the state.
- Seasonal Housing Facilities: Address the needs of temporary staff who are critical to achieving our mission and must have available and affordable housing options.
- Fire: Monitor, understand and respond to changes that are happening in wildland fire organizations across the country due to longer and hotter seasons, fewer firefighters entering the career field, lagging wages and more citizens residing in the WUI.
- Fund Integrity: Ensure our dedicated fund dollars are put to work in the programs for which they are intended and that overhead activities are funded proportionately with the correct programmatic mix.
- Policy & Procedure: Update and organize the many policies and procedures that inform our daily work while ensuring governance is clearly established and authority delegated where appropriate.
Progress is being made but IDL must remember these are not short-term initiatives. The executive team will pursue options to ensure that staff are aware of the IDL strategic plan and Future Proofing IDL.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Delivered Product Sales But Were Afraid to Ask
Timberland owners use two basic timber models for selling forest products, with timber sold either as stumpage or as delivered products.
Montana and Washington both use stumpage sales and delivered product sales to sell state-owned timber. Industrial landowners and most consultant foresters working with larger private landowners also use the delivered product sale approach because it provides increased revenue and better control of timing and results for their clients.
Historically, IDL has sold endowment timber using the stumpage model, with standing timber sold at public auction and purchasers being responsible for harvesting and removing the trees at their expense.
IDL now has another option for selling timber.
Under IDL's delivered products pilot program, the agency can sell at public auction specific product sorts like pulp, posts and poles, sawlogs, cedar poles, or house logs directly to end-users, contracting with loggers to harvest and deliver the product sorts.
This pilot project will determine if the delivered products model can help the agency strategically market sales and specific products to improve net returns. Ultimately, delivered products may help IDL meet its constitutional mandate to maximize long-term returns for the beneficiaries.
The Idaho Legislature and Governor approved IDL’s FY2021 budget request for $500,000 to implement a Delivered Product Sales Pilot Program. Subsequently, in March of 2022, IDAPA 20.02.14 was updated to authorize IDL to sell endowment timber as delivered products.
Prioritizing Staff Well-Being
Last week IDL's executive team discussed the stresses experienced by all IDL staff over the past few years, including issues such as Covid and the response, inflation and economic conditions, staffing-levels and ongoing vacancies, personal challenges, and more. Work/life balance was a common theme and is important to maintain.
It's important that all leaders within IDL recognize the stresses and listen to their staff.
Discussing these issues can be difficult for some and we need to make sure IDL team members know that they can bring things forward to their leadership. We also need to ensure that employees are aware of the resources available to them if they are facing personal or professional challenges.
The executive team will continue this discussion at its September strategy meeting and explore how leadership can better engage with staff to help them maintain their well-being.
IDL and Idaho Non-Profit Collaborate to Help Prevent Wildfires Before the Labor Day Weekend
IDL and Idaho Sportsmen issued a joint news release reminding outdoor enthusiasts that fire season isn’t over yet, and caution is needed because the fire risk for most of Idaho remains high or very high.
In the release, IDL Director Dustin Miller and Idaho Sportsmen Executive Director Benn Brocksome explained why you should never leave a campfire unattended, offered advice for preventing human caused roadside fires, and outlined the significant financial penalties for those who start wildfires negligently.
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Community Takes Action After Cougar Fire
On August 18, IDL quickly and aggressively suppressed the Cougar Fire, west of Coeur d'Alene Lake off Cougar Gulch Road. Crews held the fire to half an acre.
This incident led Representative Ron Mendive, who lives near it, to call a community meeting to help neighbors new to the area learn how to live more safely in the wildland urban interface.
Rep. Mendive is no stranger to wildfires. In the early 1970s he lived through a wildfire in the same area and credits defensible space for protecting his property and keeping his family safe. As chairman of the House Resources and Conservation Committee, he has worked closely with IDL on fire-related issues. He also owns and operates forestry mastication equipment, helping people in his community make their properties Firewise.
On September 6 at 6 pm PT, Rep. Mendive will host a meeting for his neighbors at the Meadowbrook Community Hall. Staff from IDL and Kootenai County Fire & Rescue will be on hand to discuss how we fight fire, prevention tips, the importance of creating defensible space around homes, and much more.
Freezeout Road Near Clarkia to Temporarily Close for Bridge Replacement
A popular road for campers and other recreational users will temporarily close for a bridge replacement. Freezeout Road (also known as the Floodwood Main Haul Road) between Clarkia and C-PTPA Boehls Camp will close between Mary Mix Road (approximately marker 32) and Scott Road (approximately Marker 33.75). The closure is scheduled to begin September 18, 2023, and should reopen when the project is completed in late October.
View the location of the bridge on a Google map.
An alternate route for those wishing to access Smith Ridge or Grandad Bridge can be made by entering Elk River and following the Diamond Road.
The 80-foot bridge that crosses Floodwood Creek is degraded and has exceeded its life expectancy. It will be replaced by a longer, larger bridge that will span 120 feet, allowing safer travel for all vehicles, especially heavy trucks. Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and its cooperator will also realign the road approaching the bridge.
Employees Leaving IDL
We wish departing team members the very best in their new endeavors.
- Jeannie Nez Perce
- Bridgett Cafferty
- Zack Foster
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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