Priest Lake Lot Auction Brings in More than $11 Million for the Public School Endowment Fund
IDL sold eight cottage sites at Priest Lake during an auction on Saturday, Sept 21.
The auction generated $11,404,720 which is $526,000 over the appraised value. Of the eight properties sold, only one had competitive bidding and seven had only one bid. The competitive bidding resulted in a 4.84% overall increase above the total appraised value of the properties.
Four lessees successfully purchased their split estates. Non-lessees purchased the other four lots and will pay IDL the amount bid for the land and pay the lessee the appraised value of the personal property. The land was held in trust by IDL for the Public School Endowment beneficiary.
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.
Upon the transactions closing, the funds from the land sales will be deposited in the “Land Bank” and may be used to purchase new endowment land in Idaho or may go into a Permanent Fund to continue earning returns for the endowment beneficiaries.
Welcome to IDL's New General Counsel
Director Miller is pleased to announce the hiring of John Richards as IDL’s General Counsel! John is a native of Owyhee County with deep roots in ranching, natural resources, and public lands issues.
John earned his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, OR, where he obtained a Certificate in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law. His academic background includes a B.A. in Political Economy from the College of Idaho, where he graduated cum laude.
John’s career includes notable positions such as Associate Attorney at Sawtooth Law Offices, PLLC, where managed a diverse caseload of litigation and conducted general practice focused on agricultural clients; and Legal Counsel at the Idaho Governor's Office of Species Conservation, where he worked on ESA species management and federal policy actions. His prior experience also includes a Legal Fellowship at Agri Beef and a role as Policy Analyst at the Idaho Governor's Office of Energy and Mineral Resources.
Growing up on a cattle ranch and with his family’s active involvement in public lands issues, John has a deep personal connection to Idaho’s land and resource management. His extensive experience and dedication make him a valuable addition to IDL.
As you will recall, earlier this year the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill 1292, which updated Idaho Code to allow IDL to hire and establish its own in-house legal team. As such, John will lead our talented legal team here at IDL that includes Attorneys JJ Winters and Allison Olson, and Legal Assistant Kayla Dawson. We are lucky to have such an awesome team!
John and his wife Ashley and new baby girl, Rosalie, live in Calwell and in their spare time you can find them helping on the family ranch, adventuring in the outdoors, or working on home remodel projects.
John started in his role September 9th. Please join the director in welcoming John Richards to the Idaho Department of Lands!
Federalism Committee Discusses Idaho Wildfire Situation
This week, Director Miller and Fire Bureau Chief Josh Harvey participated in the Idaho Legislature’s Committee on Federalism. They provided an overview of our firefighting strategies in Idaho, highlighting our collaborative efforts with partners in wildland fire, the master fire agreement, and our ongoing modernization initiatives for the IDL Wildland Fire Program.
Miller and Harvey also discussed our salvage logging efforts and our partnerships with the Forest Service, particularly through the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) and Shared Stewardship Program, aimed at reducing fuel loads on federal lands. They emphasized that while each fire organization has distinct missions and operates under different conditions, collaboration is essential; no agency can effectively manage fire response alone in Idaho.
College of Natural Resources Board President's Tour
This week, Director Miller, Michele Andersen, and Heath Hancock participated in the 9th annual UI College of Natural Resources Advisory Board President’s Tour in Island Park. Hosted by the CNR Advisory Board and UI President Scott Greene, the tour highlights the unique challenges of managing natural resources in Idaho and explores collaborative solutions that often the CNR plays a role in.
This year’s focus was on the Island Park area, addressing increasing demand for state park usage, wildlife management concerns, and forest management issues. Given the popularity for recreational activities in the area, IDL is actively exploring ways to enhance public opportunities in the region while generating additional income for the endowments.
 Heath Hancock presenting to CNR tour - photo by Dustin Miller
 Teton Mountains - photo by Dustin Miller
First Amendment Audit Training Paid Off
Recently Vikki Snider and Andrew Smyth hosted a micro-learning for IDL staff about First Amendment Audits.
First Amendment Audits are an American social and political movement that usually involves a citizen filming public employees in a public space. Social media activists with mobile devices and YouTube channels have been testing the boundaries of the First Amendment by entering public buildings, disrupting business, and recording public employee reactions. Filming in a public space is a constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment.
Although some auditors are exercising these rights in order to educate others and verify public compliance, others do this hoping it will provoke a reaction captured on their video. Negative interactions are the main goal of this type of auditor.
IDL employee Ian Bridges put that training to use, experiencing two First Amendment Audits while serving as a Logistics Trainee with the Northern Rockies Team 3 on the Sharrott Creek Fire in Montana.
Having just gone through the recent micro-learning, Ian was thinking, "What happens if the public wonders into camp and starts taking pictures?" At the beginning of the incident he discussed his concerns with his lead security manager. The fire was very visible to the public along the Bitterroot Face, with the Incident Command Post (ICP) right off Highway 93 and only minutes away from several communities, which opened it up to the possibility of a First Amendment Audit.
They briefed with the local county sheriff liaison, and developed a mitigation plan which included the following:
- Post “Fire Traffic Only” and “Authorized Personnel Only” signage at entrance
- Post signage at a height between 3.5 and 4 ft. from the crown of the roadbed for maximum visibility
- Check unmarked vehicles to ensure credentials
- Escort those unassigned but invited into the ICP using a Public Information Officer (PIO), security personnel, or a designated host as a guide.
- Approach members of the public trying to enter the ICP, explain the ICP restrictions and show them the public area outside the restricted area.
- Make a PIO available if the public has questions or needs additional information about the fire.
- Assure fire resources within the ICP that a mitigation plan is in place to prevent disturbances or issues.
No more than two days later there were two separate incidents with members of the public attempting to enter the front gate to photograph ICP. The security cadre of federal partners, team members, and local law enforcement interacted with the individuals and followed the mitigation plan. Each party stayed outside the fenced ICP area along the public right-of-way for about 45 minutes to an hour. With the proper mitigations in place it went smoothly with no altercations.
Ian says by simply posting signs, developing uniform procedures, and presenting a unified team message they were able to turn a potential public relations nightmare and safety hazard into a benign public interaction. He would like to thank Andrew Smyth and Vicky Snider for the presentation on how to handle auditors. Without this training, things could have ended quite differently.
For more information about First Amendment audits, these documents are on the Safety Program SharePoint site:
-
First Amendment Audits-What you need to know includes “Best Practices in the Event You Encounter a First Amendment Auditor” on page 2. Please review this information as a reminder or if you were unavailable for the micro learning that was provided.
-
Guidance on signage in IDL Offices memo sent with the First Amendment Audit email from Director Miller. If your office needs the signage referenced in this memo, please contact Jay Hein with type and numbers needed.
New Boise Staff Office Signage
New signage in the IDL Boise staff office is an effort to be prepared for First Amendment Audits. Signs are now posted on all doors within the building that are for "Employee Only Access"
New Buildings at St. Joe Supervisory Area Taking Shape
Crews are making good progress on the new administration building and fire building. On Sept. 20 the front parking area was paved. Sheetrock work is the next step inside and outside siding will be started next week. Crews starting putting up siding on the fire building last week.
The St. Maries Gazette Record featured an update on the construction projects on September 26, interviewing Area Manager Tony Brede.
IDL staff is excited to possibly move into the new buildings this winter. They will move from an old building that had multiple add-ons and remodels over the past 50 years and was not ADA-compliant.
The new administrative offices will be all on one level and will be ADA compliant with a large conference room with a max capacity of 50 people.
Staff are excited to move into the new building with the bonus of an up-to-date heating and cooling system.
The new fire building will have three heated bays, allowing crews to keep the engines fully serviced and housed in the building 24/7.
The Admin building is supposed to be completed the end of January with an early February move in date. Fire building will be completed around April/May. Total project to be completed by July 2025.
 St. Joe Administration building in progress - photo by Tony Brede
 St. Joe Fire building in progress - photo by Tony Brede
Craig Foss Retirement
After 29 years of dedicated service, State Forester Craig Foss will retire in October.
To celebrate hanging up his work boots and putting away his tie, IDL employees, Land Board and staff at the Boise staff office shared a piece of cake and said goodbye Wednesday, September 18. Along with IDL folks, Brandon Woolf, Brian Benjamin, David New and David Groeschl attended.
The Director and Bill Haagenson both shared remarks and thanked Craig for his hard work and service to IDL. Craig shared a few comments about his years with IDL and David Groeschl told a few stories.
A celebration will also be held in Coeur d'Alene on Monday October 28th at 4 p.m. at Capone's Pub on the Green at the Ponderosa Springs Golf Course.(291 N Galena Drive, CDA)
Presentations will be at 5:30 p.m.
A taco bar is available for $14 per person and a full bar is available to purchase drinks.
Sustained Yield (the IDL band) will be raising the rafters in celebration!
RSVP to bheasty@idl.idaho.gov so the kitchen can be fully prepared.
In Case You Missed It
Here's a recap of other recent IDL newsletters you may find interesting:
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:
|
