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Spring Burning Advisory: Safety Tips and Permit Guidelines for Property Maintenance
Big Country News, 3-14-24
KAMIAH - The time of year is quickly approaching when spring burning is on the weekly chore list. With the need to keep our homes and properties maintained, be aware that the spring weather is becoming warmer and windier. Please be careful when burning on your property, as fire response resources are limited this time of year and response times may vary.
Jim Wimer, Fire Prevention Officer for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, states, “We cannot rely on the calendar anymore to tell us when wildfires may impact our lives. Our local fire officials continually monitor evolving fire conditions, and with that, they urge the public to always be cautious when working or recreating outdoors.”
As a reminder, here are a few tips and tricks to make sure that you are keeping yourself, your community, and property safe this spring:
Follow all burn permit guidelines issues by Idaho Department of Lands and those that are specific to your location.
- Idaho Department of Lands annually requires burn permits from May 10 through October 20: IDL Burn Permit Application.
- For areas within the Nez Perce Reservation, burn permits are required year-round for both burns smaller than ten feet in diameter, to those that are larger than ten feet in diameter: Tribal Burn Permits on the Nez Perce Reservations.
- For specific burn permit questions, please contact your local county/state officials for more information about the burn permit process and current fire conditions/restrictions.
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Lands department sues man for 2020 fire
Lewiston Tribune, 3-13-24
The Idaho Department of Lands is suing a Nez Perce County man in an effort to recoup some of its costs to suppress a wildfire in 2020.
According to court documents, the agency alleges Ronald Berry caused the Mile Marker 33 Fire near Peck when a spark from a cutting torch he was using to install a gate landed in dry grass and quickly grew. Berry used a fire extinguisher in an attempt to stop the fire but was unsuccessful. The fire ultimately reached timber, grew to 2 acres and caused U.S. Highway 12 to be closed for a short time.
The department, Big Canyon Rural Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service all worked to suppress the blaze. The effort included two helicopters and an airplane.
According to the lawsuit, because the department has mutual aid agreement with the rural fire department and the federal government, it is responsible for their costs during the suppression effort. It is asking that a jury find that Berry must pay the agency $29,752.91 plus attorney’s fees.
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BLM to conduct prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk
KIFI, 3-12-24
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will conduct prescribed burns in southwest Idaho to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations, such as dry grass, limbs and shrubs through June, depending on weather, staffing, and ground conditions.
These prescribed burns enhance landscape resiliency and increase firefighter and public safety by minimizing the risk of wildfires.
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Strategic Fence Line Prescribed Burn–Expected to occur along fence lines to reduce the risk of wildland fire adjacent to roads within the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Specifically, burn operations will target the invasive Russian thistle accumulation across 200 acres, equal to approximately 20 miles of fence line. Temporary road closures may be necessary for firefighter and public safety and will be coordinated with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to ensure minimal delays.
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Bruneau Owyhee Sage-Grouse Habitat (BOSH) Prescribed Burn–Approximately 6,380 acres of previously cut western juniper is scheduled to be burned near Trout Creek Road and South Mountain Road, approximately eight miles south of Jordan Valley, Ore. Timing of this burn is dependent on cooler, damp conditions.
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Agricultural Research Services South Mountain Prescribed Burn–Roughly 1,102 acres of previously cut and cured juniper will be burned. Coordinated with Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), and private landowners, this prescribed burn is near Mud Flat Road and South Mountain, approximately 20 miles southeast of Jordan Valley, Ore., and six miles east of Cliffs, Idaho.
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Spring Creek Prescribed Burn–This project will burn approximately 300 acres of cut and cured juniper limbs and scrub near Juniper Mountain, approximately 30 miles southeast of Jordan Valley, Ore. These fuels will be hand-ignited clearing the way for additional larger-scale broadcast burn planned for fall 2024.
Once initiated, each prescribed burn operation is expected to last up to five days, with personnel and equipment patrolling areas for an additional five to seven days. Road closures could occur during firing operations for public and firefighter safety. Smoky conditions may be visible from large distances due to various project locations, vegetation types, topography and burning conditions.
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Investing in Idaho’s forestry workforce
IdahoEdNews, 3-12-24
It’s no secret that forestry is an important part of Idaho’s economy. A 2023 University of Idaho study found that the forest products business sector contributed $2.5 billion to Idaho’s gross state product in 2022. The vast majority of the $61 million in state endowment lands money that went to public schools in 2023 came from timber harvesting proceeds. That means close to 30,000 of our friends, families and neighbors work in Idaho forests. They’re the loggers, truck drivers, mill workers, foresters, sales and accounting professionals who sustainably manage our forests to produce lumber, paper products, furniture and other wood products.
But those numbers only tell part of the story. While vital to Idaho’s economy, the forest products sector faces uncertainty due to workforce challenges. Twenty-four percent of the log truck drivers are over the age of 60 and the logging contractor owner/operators have on average 29 years of business experience. Like many Idaho businesses, without a stable workforce, forestry’s tremendous impact on our state’s economy is at risk.
But there’s reason for optimism. Recent investments through Idaho’s new Career Ready Students program represent an infusion of both energy and capital in cultivating new pipelines of young talent into Idaho’s forest products sector. In March 2023, Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, with the help of the Idaho Legislature, secured $45 million to create a new program that would invest in career technical education and career training around our state.
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Thanks, Smokey!
Posted March 15, 2024
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Prep for the 2024 fire season is on, and interviews for seasonal fire crew are underway. Smokey's support means the world as we gear up to keep our communities safe. Let's make it a fire-smart season together! #SmokeyBear #FireSeason #OneTeam #BearOnAChair
media credit: Jasmine Chowning, Idaho Department of Lands
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Posted March 14, 2024
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