Current News Coverage
Big burn, big money
The Star-News, 11-21-24
Fires in the West Mountain Complex surrounding Cascade contributed to new records for the most acres burned and highest firefighting costs in a single year on the Boise National Forest.
In total, about 374,000 acres were burned on the Boise National Forest this summer, including state and private land near to the forest where fires burned across ownership boundaries. Some of the largest fires on the forest were within the West Mountain Complex, which included the Lava, Boulder, Dollar, Snag and Goat Fires.
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Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joins effort to seize control of public lands
Sandpoint Reader, 11-20-24
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador recently joined the State of Utah in a legal effort that could upend the future of public lands across the United States. Labrador filed a brief in support of Utah’s lawsuit, currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, which challenges the federal government’s authority to retain ownership of “unappropriated” Bureau of Land Management lands within Utah’s borders. If successful, this case could set a dangerous precedent, putting millions of acres of public lands nationwide at risk of state takeover.
In Idaho, approximately 9.1 million acres of unappropriated BLM lands could be affected. While most of these lands are in the southern part of the state, North Idaho is home to nearly 100,000 acres of BLM-managed lands, including about 16,000 acres in Bonner and Boundary counties. These lands encompass cherished places like Gamlin Lake, Gold Mountain, portions of the Mickinnick Trail and parcels along the Kootenai River — key spots for recreation, wildlife habitat and public enjoyment.
At first glance, transferring these lands to state control might sound appealing, but don’t be fooled. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, BLM lands are managed for multiple uses, balancing activities like grazing and timber harvest with recreation, wildlife conservation and public access. This ensures all Americans — regardless of where they live — have a stake in these lands.
By contrast, state endowment lands are managed solely to maximize financial returns. As the Idaho Department of Lands readily admits, state lands are not public lands. In keeping with its constitutional mandate, Idaho has sold off more than 1.2 million acres of state lands over the years. These lands, once privatized, are often lost to the public forever.
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Op-Ed: Federal forest managers are tangled in their own bureaucracy
The Center Square, 11-20-24
Working for the Bureau of Land Management as an initial attack firefighter during my summers in college, you would learn pretty fast how to properly move the hose to quickly fight the flame. During my last summer, our engine had a firefighter on our crew whose only experience was digging lines and not moving water. One night we were trying to quickly catch a growing wildfire but our new crewmate kept getting tangled in the hose.
Federal forest managers seem to be tangled in their own hose reel as they attempt to manage escalating fire concerns. Inundated with too much federal land, overwhelmed with bureaucratic red tape, and heavily reliant on distant oversight, federal forest managers are failing to adequately manage their wildfires. Idaho Congressman Russ Fulcher alongside U.S. Senators Crapo and Risch recently wrote to the U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore saying: “The scale and severity of these incidents can be attributed to inadequate federal preventative measures and delayed response times.”
In the Boise and Payette National Forests, the Lava Fire continues to consume precious public timber resources, amounting to almost 100,000 acres of federal and state-managed land. Even at the end of fire season, nearby complex fires still intensify the severity of the situation, though containment has increased. As of September, the state is facing an estimated $45.8 million bill for wildfire expenses for 2024 (not including the recent fires that burned in October) compared to $14.6 million in 2023.
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Landowner Resources
Southwest Idaho All-Lands Partnership, 11-2024
Marina project seeks additional time
Bonner County Daily Bee, 11-18-24
SANDPOINT — Bonner County commissioners are slated to hear a request to extend the amount of time a developer has to complete a proposed marina development near Trestle Creek at its Tuesday meeting.
Valiant Idaho, LLC/Valiant Idaho II, LLC is asking the county to extend the amount of time it has to complete the project by four years, saying the additional time is needed due to third-party objections to portions of the project. Those objections have hampered efforts to secure the state and federal permits needed due to the presence of bull trout in the area. The fish are listed as threatened by U.S. Fish & Wildlife with many citing Trestle Creek as a key habitat for bull trout.
Developers are seeking the extension to complete the development which would be located at the north fork of Trestle Creek. Approved by the county in January 2021, the project would add single-family dwellings, boat storage and services and a community dock and marina.
The planned unit development is conditionally approved to be constructed on 24.4 acres at the north fork of Trestle Creek.
According to a background statement published by the Idaho Department of Lands at a recent hearing, Valiant Idaho, LLC/Valiant Idaho II, LLC aims to build an 88-boat commercial marina in the area, install a breakwater, dredge on the lake, implement erosion control infrastructure, and reroute a section of Trestle Creek.
Valiant Idaho, LLC/Valiant Idaho II, LLC is closely affiliated with The Idaho Club and proposed a similar development in the area last year. Attempts to develop a marina in the area can be traced back decades.
The project is in the midst of its third permitting process by state and federal agencies.
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The Wild, Wild West: Thousands of abandoned mines scattered across Idaho
KTVB, 11-14-24
IDAHO, USA — Mining has been a bedrock of Idaho's economy since before the Gem State became a state, but an environmental nonprofit group says abandoned mines are leaving a legacy that's harming the landscape.
To better understand how mining has impacted state's environment, the Idaho Conservation League put together a comprehensive statewide report on mining in the Gem State.
Data shows there are about 8,800 abandoned mines across Idaho, that could have impacts on the environment and human health.
"Generally speaking, we often see things like contaminated soils and dust, heavy metals, contamination of water," Josh Johnson, the Idaho Conservation League's central Idaho director said. "Often things like arsenic that you really don't want in your drinking water or in your rivers - we see that pretty frequently from abandoned mines."
One example is the Triumph Mine east of Ketchum. Long abandoned - but with impacts still being felt today.
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In 1999, the Idaho Legislature created a law requiring 34% of the Idaho Mine License Tax to go into an Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fund. However, revenue from that tax has plummeted and the Idaho Department of Lands predicts the Mine Reclamation Fund will become insolvent in 2027.
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Steamboat Gulch Sledding and Tubing Hill to Open this Winter
Posted November 18, 2024
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 Elliott. The Idaho City pair will o…
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