Idaho Legislative Session
IDL is nearing Sine Die. We continue to follow the progress of the session and bills. Below are the bills that might affect how we do business on behalf of the endowment beneficiaries.
Senate Bill 1243 - Grazing rights, state lands
This legislation would allow the grazing leases from the Owyhee Land Exchange that came in from federal lands to be treated as if it were a federal permit, automatically renewing every 10 years with no auction. It would only apply to lands acquired through federal land exchanges.
- 01/23 Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
- 01/24 Senate - Reported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment
- 02/06 Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- 02/07 Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- 02/12 Read third time in full – PASSED - 31-4-0, approved to House
- 02/13 Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
Read First Time, Referred to Resources & Conservation
- 02/28 Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- 02/29 House - Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- 03/11 House - Passed: Ayes 66 Nays 2 Abs/Excd 2, title approved, to Senate
- 03/12 Senate - Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
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03/13 Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate
Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor
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03/14 Reported delivered to Governor at 8:10 a.m. on 03/14/24
Signed by Governor on 03/14/24
Senate Bill 1279 - Navigational Encroachments
This legislation adds a clarifying definition to section 58-1312 in relation to the Lake Protection Act. It defines the term “modified” to mean the location has not been changed and the footprint has not been expanded in dimension.
- 02/06 Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
- 02/07 Reported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment
- 02/12 Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- 02/13 Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- 02/21 Read third time in full – PASSED - 34-0-1
Title apvd - to House
- 02/22 Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
Read First Time, Referred to Resources & Conservation
- 03/12 House - Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- 03/13 House - Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- 03/14 Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 68-0-2; Title apvd - to Senate
- 03/15 Returned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
- 03/18 Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
- 03/19 Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate
- 03/21 Senate - Signed by Governor on 03/21/24
Senate Bill 1342 - Grazing Leases
Amends existing law to exclude grazing leases from certain hearing requirements and to provide that all state lands may be leased for a period of up to forty years for grazing leases.
- 02/12 Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
- 02/13 Reported Printed; referred to Resources & Environment
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02/22 Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
Read First Time, Referred to Resources & Conservation
- 02/26 Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- 02/27 Senate - Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- 02/29 Senate - Passed: Ayes 33 Nays 0 Excused 2; title approved; to House
- 03/01 House - Read First Time, Referred to Resources & Conservation
- 03/07 House - Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- 03/08 House - Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- 03/13 Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 69-0-1
Title apvd - to Senate
Returned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
- 03/14 Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
- 03/15 Senate - Reported delivered to Governor at 8:04 a.m. on 03/15/24
- 03/20 Senate - Signed by Governor on 03/19/24
Senate Bill 1443 - Endowment Trust Land
Adds to existing law to clarify the duties of the state board of land commissioners in the lease of state endowment trust lands, to require bonds under certain circumstances, and to provide for rulemaking.
- 03/22 Introduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
- 03/25 Senate - Reported Printed; referred to State Affairs
- 03/26 Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- 03/27 Read second time; filed for Third Reading
Rules Suspended (2/3 Vote - Read in full as required) – PASSED - 34-0-1
Title apvd - to House
- 03/28 House - Read First Time, Referred to Resources & Conservation
Visit the archive of IDL Legislative Update Newsletters
College of Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting
Director Miller attended the College of Natural Resources Advisory Board meeting this week in Moscow. Miller serves as an advisory board member and is the incoming chair. The advisory board assists the CNR Dean, Dennis Becker, in implementing his vison for the college in order to remain as the premier natural resources college in the west.
Miller also attended the annual CNR awards banquet where students, faculty and alumni are recognized for their achievements across many diverse disciplines. As an alumni of the college, Miller received the “Celebrating Natural Resources” award which is presented to a CNR graduate whose career exemplifies integrated natural resource management.
 Dustin Miller with his “Celebrating Natural Resources” award
Administrative Professionals Meeting in Eastern Idaho Supervisory Area
IDL's Administrative Professionals held their annual meeting this week at the Eastern Idaho Supervisory Area. This was a three day conference that covered a number of topics including: Submitting Corrections to Fiscal for Cost Accounting, Safety Review, Future Proofing Goals/Leading IDL, FPA Compliance Training; Budget to Actuals/Tips for payroll in LUMA/Fire Travel in XM, Seasonal Hiring Strategies/Sharepoint Updates, and several fire business topics.
On Thursday, Eastern staff provided a field tour to Twin Buttes, where there is just over 20,000 acres of endowment land. They discussed grazing and grass production in that area, crop leases, wind projects, solar projects and recreation.
 AP tour of Twin Buttes in Eastern Idaho Supervisory Area
Prescribed Burn at Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area to Assist Idaho Fish and Game
IDL Wildland Firefighters assisted Idaho Fish and Game with a prescribed burn at the Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area near Parma.
The burn was successful and was used to control noxious weeds on approximately 150 acres of reed grass in the marsh areas.
IDL provided the same treatment to the Roswell Marsh Wildlife Habitat Area on March 20.
Photos of the burn by Ruth Luke
 Prescribed burn Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area 4/2/24
 Prescribed burn Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area 4/2/24
 Prescribed burn Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area 4/2/24
Contractors Annual Fire Training
As IDL gets ready for fire season, contractors are getting their annual fire training in too. Inland Forest Management (forestry consultant and contract fire management) hosted a fire refresher (RT-130) for local contractors in Ponderay on March 27th.
More than 80 contractors were in attendance. Many of the attendees are loggers we work with on endowment timber sales or have contracted with for fire suppression.
Brian Hicks (IDL Fire Warden, Pend Oreille Zone, POFPD) was the first presenter. Brian provided a review of IDL’s authority, the closed fire season, fire restrictions, and burn permits.
Over the last couple years, we’ve noticed an increase in hold-over fires resulting from fall pile burning. During the presentation Brian emphasized the importance of proper slash pile construction, letting the slash cure, and burning slash at the right time. He stressed the importance of checking those piles in the spring.
With so little snow this winter and a dry spring (so far), we’ve already discovered numerous pile sites smoking or with residual heat. A piece of rebar is a cheap tool for checking the piles that were burned last fall. The rebar is driven 1 to 2 feet into the ground, left for a minute or two, then removed. If the rebar is warm, we’ll note that pile as one to monitor or arrange resources to extinguish it.
 Matt Hicks presents to Contractor's RT-130 class
Commercial Ground Lease Available In McCall, IDL Looking for Requests for Proposals
There is an endowment commercial parcel currently available for a commercial ground lease in McCall. The 12.5 acre McCall parcel is known as Deinhard A and is located off Deinhard Lane.
IDL is looking for proposals for the parcel, and proposers may offer a lease for up to 49 years.
Generally, to negotiate a commercial ground lease IDL first solicits interest via a Request for Proposals (RFP). Each proposal will be wholly evaluated while keeping in alignment with Idaho’s constitution, which states endowment land is to be managed for the long-term financial return to the endowment beneficiaries. Once an RFP is awarded, the winner will be eligible to negotiate a lease with IDL for their proposal.
Idaho’s constitution also requires IDL to use a competitive bidding process when awarding leases. Once final, the negotiated lease will be opened and advertised to the public at large. The winner of the RFP and any other interested parties are provided the same opportunity to compete at auction by offering a premium bid for the right to secure the lease.
Family Forest Landowners & Managers Conference
Director Miller and several other IDL employees presented at the 2024 Family Forest Landowners & Managers Conference in Moscow last week.
The Director did a presentation on the Master Fire Agreement giving a high level update on the changes and how it is being implemented. Jeremiah Miller spoke and provided specifics on how IDL approaches and responds to wildfire on lands under our protection.
During the informal "spit and whittle" session, Archie Gray, Jeanne Bradley and the Private Forestry supervisors and specialists sat with landowners, consultants and loggers. Archie provided program updates and the IDL team answered questions.
Hailey Frank, Mica Private Forestry Specialist (PFS) and Idaho Tree Farm president, hosted the Idaho Tree Farm Annual Meeting, where the Tree Farm inspector of the year, Tree Farm logger of the year, and outstanding Idaho Tree Farmer of the year were recognized.
IDL had a productive PFS following the conference on Wednesday. Technical services bureau has been instrumental in furthering the FPA and Stewardship ESRI-based spatial information collecting. Robin Dunn representing them at the meeting.
De-escalation Training Completed
Ninety-one IDL employees participated in the De-escalation Training provided by Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). Attendees in Coeur d'Alene (3/12) and Boise (3/20) learned a variety of skills, tools and techniques to empower them when confronted with disgruntled or angry customers.
The training objectives were:
- Define de-escalation as it pertains to IDL employees in the performance of their duties.
- Understand the importance of situational awareness in the de-escalation process.
- Distinguish between Clear and Contaminated thinking.
- Demonstrate working knowledge of distance management.
- Understand and be familiar with the Five Universal Truths.
- Be familiar with techniques to de-escalate a tense situation with a customer.
Positive feedback from attendees indicates the objectives were met, the facilitators were good, and the content was pertinent for handling IDL business and for personal life.
The PowerPoint slides used for the training are posted on the Safety Program SharePoint location.The information in the presentation can be beneficial whether or not you attend a class.
IDL's Safety Officer Vikki Snider reports that POST enjoyed providing this training and may be open to conducting more in the future.
 Coeur d'Alene presentation
 Coeur d'Alene presentation
 Boise class, practicing what was being taught
Raffles to Support the Idaho Forestry Contest
This is the 41st year of the Idaho State Forestry Contest, a one-day field event for Idaho's youth to compete and learn about the forestry profession. IDL employees are always great at supporting the Idaho Forestry Contests through their volunteering efforts.
In 2023 more than 300 students, 95 coaches/chaperones and over 150 volunteers participated. This was largest group of competitors so far!
It costs approximately $11,000 annually to present the Forestry Contest. These expenses reflect course supplies, equipment, rental costs, and event day expenses. A number of sponsors help pay those bills, and the team that puts the event together has come up with a few other creative ways to raise funds.
Two raffles are being held to support this event. The first is for an Oklahoma Joe Smoker Package ($450 value) that includes a smoker and accessories, donated by Lowes. The second is for a Stihl Farm Boss MS 291 20 in. 55.5 cc Gas Chainsaw, donated by North 40 Outfitters.
To participate it is $5 for one entry or $20.00 for 5 entries for either raffle. You can participate with cash or check at the IDL staff or area offices or at the SITPA office. The deadline to enter the raffles is April 19th. The drawing will be held April 24th.
Checks should be made out to Bonner SWCD with Forestry Contest noted on the memo line.
For questions or additional information please contact: Lynn Buhl, Idaho Department of Lands Main: 208-769-1577 Desk: 208-664-7248 Email: lbuhl@idl.idaho.gov
 
In Case You Missed It
Here's a recap of other recent IDL newsletters you may find interesting:
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