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Women in the Woods Field Day Opportunity May 10 in Sandpoint
Big Country News, 4-23-24
COEUR D'ALENE - Men in beards and flannel move over, women are headed into the forest for the 2nd Annual Women in the Woods Field Day on May 10 in Sandpoint.
While the event is open to everyone, this opportunity 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.
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IDL seeks changes to administrative rules for oil and gas conservation
Independent Enterprise, 4-19-24
FRUITLAND — Officials from the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission held a public meeting in Fruitland on April 15. This was to go over proposed changes to administrative rules that govern oil and natural gas conservation in Idaho. While many of the changes are just a clean-up of language to make the rule easier to understand, there are changes related to time frames for public comment and extensions of active and inactive status for wells.
This was the second public meeting held in recent weeks to review the draft proposal; the first was April 11 in Boise. A third meeting is planned for April 29, during which officials will present a second draft of the proposed changes. That draft will include comments from the first two meetings, according to James Thum, Oil and Gas program manager with Idaho Department of Lands, who led the meeting on Monday.
WHY IS IT CHANGING?
During a brief overview, Thum noted that Oil and Gas Conservation falls under Title 47, Chapter 3 of Idaho Code and must stay within that statute. The proposed changes fall in line with Gov. Brad Little’s Zero-Based Regulation executive order initiated in 2020. The order is aimed at reducing red tape and “taking out legal language” the public doesn’t generally understand.
Further, Thum said it is to streamline language to help the “operator understand what needs to be done and to have a clear path forward to conduct business under the auspices” of the regulatory code.
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Community action brings good news for Trestle Creek!
Idaho Conservation League, 4-15-24
We are happy to announce that thanks to community members taking action, The Idaho Club recently had a major setback for their proposed large private marina at Trestle Creek! As the most important spawning area for bull trout in the entire Pend Oreille Basin, which also provides a wonderful living classroom for area students, Trestle Creek is at the top of our list of special places to protect.
To provide a brief recap of the issue, last summer three affiliates of The Idaho Club submitted an application to the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) for a community dock. The application was part of the private club’s plan to build a 105-slip private marina covering 15,550 square feet, alongside a luxury residential development—all at the mouth of Trestle Creek. More than 1,300 comments from the public flooded in, and hundreds showed up at a public hearing, reflecting our community’s disapproval of the project.
Despite the overwhelming objections and legal complexities surrounding the project, IDL Director Dustin T. Miller approved the lakebed encroachment permit for the marina on October 27, 2023.
However, last December, before the permit was issued to the applicants, our staff noticed that Bonner County’s public parcel map showed one of the three parcels was transferred to a new owner. Per Idaho law, this ownership change invalidated the permit application and its approval. We let the community know and they again turned out in force, sending hundreds of messages to the Governor and IDL.
After much deliberation with the Attorney General’s office, IDL recently notified the developer they must withdraw their application and reapply under the current circumstances if they still wish to pursue the marina.
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Bring Your Kids to Work Day
Posted April 25, 2024
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IDL Fire 🔥 makes us look cool in front of our kids. Work with us someday. Fire, forestry, resource management and more. Video/Reel by Robbie Johnson, Idaho Department of Lands.
Temporary Closure of Slope Road Loop Near Council
Posted April 24, 2024
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 Temporary Closure of Slope Road Loop Near Council
Safety precautions due to a timber harvest requires the Idaho Department of Lands to temporarily close the Slope Road (50048 Road) loop that connects with Pole Creek Road (50038 Road) and Buck Park Road (50055 Road).
The Dry Sky Ton timber sale will require a cable harvest along a steep and narrow segment of Slope Road near the junction of Buck Park Road, creating the need for the temporary closure.
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