Thank You To IDL’s Veterans!
On Monday, November 11, we observed Veterans Day—a day dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of our military personnel and their families. Many of our colleagues at IDL have served in the military, playing a vital role in safeguarding our freedoms and way of life.
I am deeply grateful to all our veterans for their dedication and service to our state and our country. We are fortunate to live in a land of freedom because of their sacrifices. Please take a moment to express your gratitude to the veterans within our organization, as well as those in the broader community, for all they’ve done.
Legislative Showcase
I and other executive team members have been participating in Legislative Showcases, with other natural resources agencies around the state.
These events give agencies the opportunity to talk with legislators about issues and decision units that will come up before the legislature this coming session. A discussion on fire season and modernization efforts of the IDL fire program was a large focus of all the meetings.
Presentations have taken place in Nampa, Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston and Idaho Falls.
United Aerial Firefighters Association Meeting
IDL had a strong presence at the UAFA meeting held in Boise from Tuesday, November 12, to Thursday, November 14. Our team was represented by Deputy Director Haagenson, Deputy Fire Bureau Chief Julia Lauch, Aviation Program Manager Corrie Ivey, Central Zone Fire Manager Jeremiah Miller and myself
Haagenson welcomed everyone to Idaho and provided an overview of IDL’s mission, including our work through the endowments and fire program. He emphasized how lean our resources are, shared the aviation-related challenges we've faced in recent years, and highlighted the successes we've had in this area.
Corrie Ivey gave a detailed update on our aviation program and the improvements we are aiming to implement. I helped open the following day on our fire program's strategic planning efforts. During this discussion, I opened a conversation about the tragic loss of Fire Boss 205 and pilot Julianna Turchetti this summer. Later in the day, Corrie was given the opportunity to speak openly about the tragedy, sharing how she and others managed the situation alongside our contractor.
Incidents like this are unexpected, and when they occur, there is no playbook for how to navigate the human side of the response, ensuring that we are supporting each other and those involved. I want to express my deepest gratitude for our staff—Corrie Ivey, Jeremiah Miller, and Julia Lauch—who immediately stepped in to assist our contractor and Julianna’s family following this tragedy. Their compassion and support were invaluable, and I am incredibly grateful for their efforts during such a difficult time.
Governor's Wildfire Report Meeting
IDL continues to work on the recommendations made in the Governor's Wildfire Report. On Wednesday, Nov. 13, IDL, Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, Idaho Office of Emergency Management, Department of Insurance, and the Governor's office met to discuss progress on the Governor's Wildfire Report recommendations and directives. The Governor's Wildfire Report can be found https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-wildfire-report.pdf
Wapiti Fire and SNRA Discussion
North Operations Chief Jason Svansara represented IDL in a meeting hosted by Senator Crapo's office regarding the Wapiti Fire and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Much of the discussion was between the Forest Service, county representatives and private citizens. The Forest Service talked through the timeline of events with the Wapiti Fire and explained their suppression policies.
The county grants coordinator talked about various grants that could be used for fuels work on private property.
IDL Participates in State Foresters’ Critical Incident Management Course
Pursuing IDL’s goal to develop a well-trained, high performing workforce focused on carrying out IDL's mission, the Fire Bureau sent three staff to the National Association of State Foresters’ Critical Incident Management Course in Phoenix Arizona, October 27 – November 1.
Forty eight students from 17 states attended the training including our own Ian Bridges (logistics section chief), Dean Johnson (agency administrator), and Andrew Smyth (agency administrator).
Presentations covered topic such as Strategic and Critical Thinking, Team Dynamics, Evacuations, and Safe Management of Personnel. Simulations offered students opportunities to demonstrate competencies managing natural and human caused incidents.
The final simulation lasted 8 hours and included a constant stream of injections exposing students to a variety of situations with tight deadlines. This training also fostered collaboration and networking with counterparts from across the country. At least three IDL employees attended this training in October 2023 as well for incident command, operations, and agency administrator roles.
Between January and October 2024, there were 144 Complex Incident management Team Assignments nationwide, including many in Idaho. There are 40 complex interagency teams nationwide and at the peak, 26 were deployed at one time this year. These teams supplement district staff managing these large incidents and allow local resources to focus on initial attack efforts. Cooperation is critical to serving our communities during these crises.
Ian Bridges participating in simulation, photo by Andrew Smyth
IDL Issues Permit for Steamboat Gulch
The Steamboat Gulch Sledding and Tubing Hill, a popular winter destination located less than two miles from downtown Idaho City and an hour from Boise on endowment land, will open again this winter.
Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) has issued a permit for Tim Hurlburt, the owner of Smokejumper Tiny Home Resort and Sarsaparilla Ice Cream Parlor, in partnership with 18 year old Carter Elliot. The Idaho City pair will operate the tubing hill.
IDL is pleased to have a partner in place this winter. The public was very disappointed last season after the previous operator had to step down due to health issues, which required the hill to shutdown for the season. IDL does not allow unattended public recreation here due to previous abuse and costly rehabilitation.
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:
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