IDL's Tyre Holfeltz to Receive a 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Award
Tyre Holfeltz has been selected to receive a 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Award. He will receive the award on March 28 during the Wildland-Urban Interface Conference in Kansas City, MO. The award is the highest national honor one can receive for outstanding work and significant program impact in wildfire preparedness and mitigation.
Tyre was nominated by Archie Gray followed by a competitive review. Among many things implemented, Tyre has spearheaded the expansion of Idaho’s Firewise Community, developed high-tech hazard mapping, and introduced a toolkit to empower homeowners with step-by-step guidance on creating defensible spaces, reaching 10,000 households.
Under Tyre’s leadership, more than 75,000 acres of hazardous fuels have been treated on state and private lands since 2018 and participation in IDL’s wildfire mitigation workshops has doubled with 1200 attendees in 2023.
The award program was established in 2014 by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the USDA Forest Service (USFS) in response to an overwhelming number of great wildfire mitigation program efforts happening across the United States.
Please join me in congratulating Tyre.
IDL Annual Update to House Resources Committee
Director Miller gave his annual update to the House Resources Committee on Thursday, February 13. This provided an opportunity to share IDL's successes in the last fiscal year, and to answer questions from committee members on a variety of topics and about some of the challenges we face with fire.
The Director will also provide an annual update to the Senate Resources Committee later this month.
Idaho Legislative Session
The Idaho Legislative Session began Monday, January 6, with Governor Little's State of the State address. IDL has several pending rules this session, however, we have no proposed legislation this session. The IDL Legislative Update will be available each week as we follow the session noting hearings and legislation that we will be following.
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IDL Budget
JFAC - IDL Decision Units
IDL's Decision Units went before JFAC on February 11. Janet Jessup with Division of Financial Management presented the budget and decision units to JFAC. Director Miller answered questions from committee members and made himself available for future questions.
JFAC Natural Resources Maintenance Budget
For the second year JFAC is first setting maintenance budgets for categories of agencies. IDL falls under the Natural Resources Maintenance Budget which also includes DEQ, Fish & Game, EFIB, Parks & Recreation and Water Resources.
On January 17, 2025, a combined total of $513,855,000 was approved for the agencies.
Rulemaking Presentations
The House Resources & Conservation Committee took up IDL's proposed rule changes on Thursday, February 13, but did not get through all the items. The remaining rules are scheduled for March 3.
IDL will present the rule changes to the Senate Resources & Environment Committee on February 26.
Rules Governing Administration of Cottage Site Leases on State Land
IDAPA 20.03.13 - Pending Rule
The Idaho Department of Lands administers IDAPA 20.03.13 Administration of Cottage Site Leases on State Lands, a residential cottage site leasing program on behalf of the Land Board for state endowment trust lands.
- House Resources & Conservation - approved
Rules Governing Grazing, Farming, Conservation, Noncommercial Recreation, and Communication Site Leases
IDAPA 20.03.14 - Pending Rule
The Idaho Department of Lands (Department) administers IDAPA 20.03.14 – Rules Governing Grazing, Farming, Conservation, Noncommercial Recreation, and Communication Site Leases, leasing programs on behalf of the Land Board for state endowment trust lands.
- House Resources & Conservation - rejected section of original rule
Rules Governing Geothermal Leasing on Idaho State Lands
IDAPA 20.03.15 - Pending Rule
The Idaho Department of Lands (Department) administers IDAPA 20.03.15, Rules Governing Geothermal Leasing on Idaho State Lands a geothermal leasing program on behalf of the Land Board for state endowment trust lands and lands owned by other state agencies.
Rules Governing Oil and Gas Leasing on Idaho State Lands
IDAPA 20.03.16 - Pending Rule
The Idaho Department of Lands administers IDAPA 20.03.16, Rules Governing Oil and Gas Leasing on Idaho State Lands, an oil and gas leasing program on behalf of the Land Board for state endowment trust lands and lands owned by other state agencies.
Rules Pertaining to Forest Fire Protection
IDAPA 20.04.01
The Idaho Department of Lands administers IDAPA 20.04.01, Rules Pertaining to Forest Fire Protection under the authority of the Idaho Forestry Act (Title 38, Chapter 1, Idaho Code).
Rules Pertaining to the Idaho Forestry Act and Fire Hazard Reduction Laws
IDAPA 20.04.02
The Idaho Department of Lands administers IDAPA 20.04.02, Rules Pertaining to the Idaho Forestry Act and Fire Hazard Reduction Laws under the authorities of the Idaho Forestry Act (Title 38, Chapter 1, Idaho Code) and Fire Hazard Reduction Programs (Title 38, Chapter 4, Idaho Code).
Rules Governing Conservation of Oil and Natural Gas in the State of Idaho
IDAPA 20.07.02 - Pending Rule
The Idaho Department of Lands administers IDAPA 20.07.02, Rules Governing Conservation of Oil and Natural Gas in the State of Idaho under the authority of Title 47, Chapter 3, Idaho Code.
Watch the committee hearings:
FY2024 Annual Reports Delivery
IDL's FY2024 Annual Report hard copies are being delivered to area and staff offices. All full time employees should receive a copy.
The communications team greatly appreciates all who helped contribute and confirm the information published in the report, and encourage everyone to make it their go-to source for information and facts about our agency.
Opinion - Ongoing fire suppression funding needed now
Director Miller, Boise Fire Chief Mark Neimeyer and White Bird Volunteer Fire Department Chief Paul Hefner sent out a joint opinion piece to media statewide.Here is a portion of the article:
Wildfire is a big part of life in the West but how states prepare and respond to it can vary greatly. Let us give you an example.
A few months ago, the governor of Oregon had to call a special legislative session to pay the state’s fire bills for the 2024 fire season.
In Idaho, we had the resources ready to pay firefighters and contractors for their work on our fires, thanks to the good sense of our governor and Idaho Legislature in ensuring the state’s fire suppression account was adequately funded.
Our state leaders have a superior track record of giving us as fire managers the tools we need to expedite initial attack on wildfires, thereby limiting overall fire costs. In fact, the State of Idaho’s fire suppression costs are nearly seven times LESS than our federal partners!
Fighting wildfires is becoming more expensive, but debt financing is not a responsible or effective approach for quickly suppressing fires. Debt financing fire suppression leaves state and local fire managers like us in the undesirable position of telling our people on the front lines that there is uncertainty whether the funding will be there to pay the bills at a later date.
Foresters Forum
The 23rd Foresters Forum took place in Coeur d'Alene February 5-7.
The forum is dedicated to providing professional foresters the opportunity to focus on their professions, learn new ideas, techniques and technologies and share information.
IDL State Forester Julia Lauch welcomed the attendees on Thursday February 6. She gave a overview of her background, education, and key decision points in her career. Julia noted challenges, potential for changes on the horizon, and how Idaho is poised well to adapt to these opportunities. The future for forest health, active forest management, and effective fire suppression in Idaho looks bright. Julia is honored and excited to be the State Forester and looking forward to collaboration and advocating for Idaho forests.
IDL's Forest Health Specialist Isabella Valdez was featured in a breakout session titled Insects and Disease: Sharing is not Caring. Isabella has been with IDL for nearly three years helping diagnose, manage, and monitor forest diseases and insect pathogens.
Director Miller Featured on The Ranch Podcast
Director Miller was interviewed on The Ranch Podcast, discussing Fire Preparation in Idaho. Along with explaining the IDL Fire program, he emphasized the need for ongoing funding in the Fire Suppression account, the Governor's commitment to improved fire management through his Wildfire Report and the Keeping Promises budget recommendations that grew out of the report, and the improved federal land management coming with two key USDA appointees.
Idaho Rangeland Conservation Partnership 2025 Annual Meeting
On January 28th and 29th, IDL staff attended the Idaho Rangeland Conservation Partnership (IRCP) annual meeting at the Idaho Fish and Game office in Nampa. The IRCP serves as a conduit among rangeland stakeholders. It helps bring groups together that may not always have another avenue to communicate with each other on rangeland issues. This year, the topics covered at the annual meeting were fire and fences.
On day one of the meeting, IDL’s Dean Johnson joined other panel members to discuss fire management and the value of partnerships when fighting wildfire and using prescribed burns as a management tool. The panel highlighted the work on the ongoing juniper treatment project in the Owyhee’s that brought together state, federal, private and NGO representatives for a common goal of improving the rangeland condition, habitat and hydrology of the project area. This project uses prescribed fire and strategic livestock grazing to manage fuel loads in conjunction with the juniper removal.
Day two focused on fencing laws, flaws and benefits on rangelands. Panelists discussed the different types of fencing and various height requirements depending on the purpose, location, and wildlife concerns across the range. Director Miller was joined by Addie Faust and John Richards across the two day event in support of Dean and Idaho’s rangelands.
photos by Addie Faust
 
photo by Isabella Valdez
Tom Eckberg Retirement
After 17 years of service, Tom Eckberg retired on January 17th from the Forest Health program. A retirement party potluck was held the week he retired, and many of his fellow IDL staff were able to share stories and kind words about Tom. Now he will have time to cut more firewood, get his Studebaker running, and spend time with his wife, Nina.
Volunteers Needed
The 42nd Annual Idaho State Forestry Contest is scheduled for May 8, 2025 at Farragut State Park.
Volunteer involvement is crucial for the success of this exciting event and your help is needed. Numerous skill sets are required to put on this event, not just forestry.
Auto Accident Report Guide
When driving an IDL vehicle make sure there is a copy of the Auto Accident Guide in your binder or glove box.
Winter weather can be unpredictable, and if you find yourself in an accident, knowing the right steps to take can make all the difference. The Auto Accident Guide provides important information on what to do before, during, and after an accident to ensure safety and compliance.
Stay safe, stay prepared, and make sure you’re ready for whatever winter brings!
Safety - Auto Accident Report Guide.pdf - All Documents
In Case You Missed It
Here's a recap of other recent IDL newsletters you may find interesting:
One Team One Voice Newsletter Archive
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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