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Timber salvaged from Four Corners Fire
Star-News - 11-2-23
About 4.5 million board feet of timber will be salvaged in the aftermath of the Four Corners Fire, which burned about 14,000 acres and threatened hundreds of homes last year near Cascade.
If dead and dying trees are not harvested, they deteriorate in place, potentially adding to future fire risks.
The project was authorized under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), a co- operative agreement that allows the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands to work together. In this case, the fire was on federal land including the Boise and Payette National Forests. The GNA allowed the forests to conduct the timber sale through processes usually only accessible by the Department of Lands.
“Given that the incident occurred in a fireshed that presented great risks to nearby communities, leaving the dead and dying trees in the wildland urban interface would create untold future wildfire risks for those living in the area,” said Idaho Department of Lands GNA Bureau Chief Jon Songster.
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Idaho Department of Lands budget request reflects increased workload
Capital Press, 11-2-23
The Idaho Department of Lands plans to ask the 2024 legislature for more money for fire suppression and forest-health projects.
The department, in a budget request for the the next fiscal year, seeks legislative approval of forest and range fire protection spending of $16.8 million, up from $15.87 million. Proposed spending on forest resource management is $22.9 million, up from $19.98 million.
The department also plans to request authorization to spend more on Good Neighbor Authority projects undertaken with federal agencies across jurisdictional boundaries. The funds are generated by GNA operations.
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Teamwork and Good Neighbor Authority helps improve forest health
Idaho Press, 10-30-23
On August 13, 2022, lightning sparked the Four Corners wildfire on the Payette and Boise National Forests near Cascade, Idaho. The incident management team deployed by the national forests contained the fire by mid-September of 2022, but it had already burned 14,000 acres.
Given that the incident occurred in a fireshed that presented great risks to nearby communities, leaving the dead and dying trees in the wildland urban interface (WUI) would create untold future wildfire risks for those living in the area.
That’s why a diverse team of forest resource specialists from the United States Forest Service (USFS), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and the forest products industry sprang to action. In the aftermath of the conflagration, they made plans to reduce the heavy fuel load left by dead or dying trees and restore critical portions of the forest to a healthy state. Together they identified a treatment area and quickly completed a thorough environmental analysis for salvaging dead, dying, and hazardous trees on 390 acres of the French Hazard WUI Project area.
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IDL approves Idaho Club's lake bed encroachment permit
Bonner County Daily Bee, 10-28-23
On Friday, Idaho Department of Lands director Dustin Miller approved The Idaho Club’s application for a lake bed encroachment permit — the first step in the proposed Trestle Creek development project — despite its potential negative impacts to bull trout as well as adverse local community opposition.
“It’s disappointing that the Idaho Department of Lands ignored public concerns about the project,” said Brad Smith, North Idaho director of the Idaho Conservation League. “There is also evidence in the record that substantiates our concerns about the impact the project will have on Trestle Creek and bull trout.”
In June, The Idaho Club submitted an application to build a 105-slip marina and luxury residential development at the mouth of Trestle Creek. This development has raised concerns among the ICL and numerous members of the community. More than 1,300 public comments were submitted in opposition to the proposed development and hundreds of individuals attended a nearly four-hour-long IDL public hearing Sept. 6 to object to the development.
Only one attendee spoke in favor of the project while all others voiced their opposition to the issue.
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IDL Annual Road Closures Begin November 3
KOZE, 10-27-23
Roads accessing the South Grangemont block of state endowment trust land will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning Friday, November 3, but will remain open to ATVs (under 50 inches) and motorcycles.
The area involved is south of the Grangemont Road between Rudo Road and Cow Creek Road. The closure will remain in effect until May 24th, the Friday before Memorial weekend.
This is an annual closure by Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and is designed to reduce erosion and sedimentation, minimize road maintenance expenses and minimize wildlife disturbance.
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Mark your calendars
Posted November 2, 2023
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Mark your calendars. Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners will meet November 21.
Info: https://loom.ly/8OaTX7Q
Land Board members are Idaho’s Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and State Controller.
The Land Board provides direction to the Department of Lands in managing more than 2.5 million acres of state endowment trust lands in Idaho.
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Please honor gate closures
Posted November 1, 2023
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News: Roads accessing the South Grangemont block of state endowment land will be closed to vehicle traffic beginning Friday, November 3, but will remain open to ATVs (under 50 inches) and motorcycles.
The area involved is south of the Grangemont Road between Rudo Road and Cow Creek Road. The closure will remain in effect until May 24th, the Friday before Memorial weekend.
This is an annual closure by Idaho Department of Lands in cooperation …
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