Current News Coverage
Teardown on old IDL building began this week
St. Maries Gazette Record, 3-5-25
Workers at the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) are getting used to their new office space as the project nears completion.
Employees of the IDL moved into their new administration building in February and starting this week, phase two of the project is now under way.
Contractors started tearing down the old administrative building Monday and will continue into this week.
St. Joe area manager Tony Brede said phase two will consist of demolition of the old admin building along with the creation of a retaining wall and leveling the east portion of the property to be at the same grade as the new asphalt parking lot that was installed last year.
Contractors will also install new fencing around the property and complete landscaping around the site.
Brede said he estimates the project will be complete towards the end of June.
Governor Little responds to concerns of fire management staffing
The Arbiter, 3-6-25
Believe me, the firefighters are going to be there,” Idaho Governor Brad Little told a crowd of reporters at a Feb. 25 press conference in response to a question about federal government layoffs including Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service workers involved with firefighting. Melissa Davlin, a producer at Idaho Public Television and the president of the Idaho Press Club, posed the question.
Little claimed that while some issues are “around the fringe, around the edges that are probably going to be looked at,” the public safety aspect of firefighting is going to be fine.
“We’ve already talked to workers, though, who were directly involved with fire supply chain issues and clearing out the forests, who said that they were already laid off,” said a skeptical Davlin.
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At the press conference, Little also spoke about increasing the use of technology for early warning systems like camera lookouts, weather detection and satellite imaging.
“Right now in the [Idaho] Department of Lands, we’re talking about [how] we used to have manned lookouts scattered around the state. Now, we’re putting in cameras. I’m quite certain the next level will be satellite detection then also weather detection,” said Little.
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Governor Little directs state agencies to boost forest management
KBOI2, 3-4-25
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — According to a recent news release, Governor Little is directing state agencies to help reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health through more active management on federal lands.
Governor Little directed the Idaho Department of Lands and other state agencies to recommend ways to align with President Trump's "Freeing our Forests" executive order.
The executive order "immediately increases domestic timber production and streamlines federal policies to enhance forest management, reduce wildfire risks, and decrease reliance on imported timber," according to the White House.
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Trump orders increased logging
Lewiston Tribune, 3-4-25
In an effort to dramatically increase timber production from federal land, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that fast-tracks environmental reviews and potentially sweeps aside protections for endangered species.
Issued Saturday, the order looks to ease the regulatory burdens that can slow the preparation and implementation of federal timber sales.
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Idaho Gov. Brad Little pledged the state’s assistance in preparing and implementing timber projects. Trump’s order specifically mentioned the Good Neighbor Authority that allows state, local and tribal governments to take on some of that work. The Idaho Department of Lands frequently
“The Trump administration is enacting common sense forest management policy changes that reflect Idaho values. With a fresh perspective at the Forest Service, Idaho stands ready to help transform how our federal lands and fires are managed, leading to invigorated rural communities,” Little said in a news release. participates in the implementation of federal timber sales through the authority.
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Idaho Gov. directs state agencies to further increase management on National Forests
Big Country News, 3-3-25
BOISE – On the heels of President Donald Trump’s March 1 executive order expanding American timber production on national forests, Governor Brad Little is directing state agencies to further help reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health through more active management on federal lands.
“The Trump administration is enacting common sense forest management policy changes that reflect Idaho values. With a fresh perspective at the Forest Service, Idaho stands ready to help transform how our federal lands and fires are managed, leading to invigorated rural communities,” Governor Little said.
Governor Little directed the Idaho Department of Lands and other state agencies to recommend opportunities for alignment with the president’s “Freeing our Forests” executive order. The executive order “immediately increases domestic timber production and streamlines federal policies to enhance forest management, reduce wildfire risks, and decrease reliance on imported timber,” according to the White House.
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Getting Hands Dirty for a Good Cause
Posted March 7, 2025
  This #FirePreventionFriday, #FirePreventionJen is getting her hands dirty for a good cause! I spent time at the Idaho Panhandle National Forest Nursery helping plant whitebark pine seeds and tend young seedlings—part of critical reforestation efforts to restore this high-elevation species. #DYK it takes 2 years before these baby trees will be ready for the woods!
We’ve got plenty of work to do recovering from naturally caused wildfires—we don’t need human-caused fires adding to this burden! Every preventable fire steals time, resources, and effort away from our forests.
So do your part: Be fire-wise. Be responsible. Prevent wildfires.
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