Current News Coverage
Dispute over Bayview dock may end with property transfer
Coeur d'Alene Press, 4-24-25
A transfer agreement that could resolve the ongoing dispute over the Bayview boat launch was sent to Kootenai County officials Wednesday. The document would transfer ownership of the property from Lakes Highway District to the county at no cost.
"We simply want our dock back," said Bayview Chamber of Commerce President Norma Jean Knowles.
The property transfer includes a provision stating that if the county "ceases to maintain the property for the purpose of maintaining a public boat launch, the property shall revert back to district." If signed, the agreement would allow the county to proceed with obtaining an Idaho Department of Lands permit to install a new dock.
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Little readies state for more federal logging
Lewiston Tribune, 4-23-25
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order Tuesday directing the Idaho Department of Lands to prepare for an expected uptick in work supporting and implementing federal logging projects.
Dubbed the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” Little’s order is designed to align with a recent executive order from President Donald Trump and a memorandum from U.S. Department Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins that both direct the U.S. Forest Service to increase timber production by fast tracking environmental reviews.
Little said Idaho leads the nation in use of the Good Neighbor Authority and Shared Stewardship — Congressionally authorized tools that allow state, tribal and local governments to partner with the Forest Service to reduce the risk of large and damaging fires.
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Miller said Idaho is prepared not only to carry out timber and restoration projects but also to help decide where they should be focused. The state’s rapid growth has led to more development in rural areas immediately adjacent to federal forests known as the wildlife urban interface. Miller said the state’s Forest Action Plan calls for work to be prioritized in those places.
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Idaho governor signs 'Make Forests Healthy Again Act' in Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene Press, 4-23-25
COEUR d’ALENE — Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order that aims to ramp up timber harvests during a visit to Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday.
Titled the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” the executive order directs the Idaho Department of Lands to expand on its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce wildfire risk in Idaho’s federally managed forest lands.
Active management activities include “increasing timber harvest, restoring watersheds to support the industry, protecting communities, and making our forests healthier, more resilient and resistant to catastrophic wildfire,” said IDL director Dustin Miller.
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Governor Little Issues Executive Order to Expand Federal Forest Management in Idaho
DailyFly, 4-22-25
COEUR D’ALENE, ID — Governor Brad Little has signed Executive Order 2025-04, the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” directing the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) to expand collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service to accelerate forest management efforts on federally managed lands in Idaho. The order aims to reduce wildfire danger and address widespread forest health issues.
Governor Little cited years of limited activity on national forest lands as a contributing factor to increased fire risk. “For too long, millions of acres of national forests in Idaho have remained totally untouched, creating a tinderbox of fuel that threatens communities, air quality, and the environment,” he stated.
The executive order builds on recent federal directives, including President Donald Trump’s March 1 “Freeing Our Forests Act” and a memorandum issued this month by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Both federal actions seek to remove regulatory barriers and expand forest treatment activities nationwide.
IDL will use the state’s existing Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) and Shared Stewardship programs to carry out more aggressive management, including timber harvests, mechanical thinning, prescribed burns, and fuel break development. Areas of highest risk will be identified using the Idaho Forest Action Plan and the 2025 fire risk map.
Under the Biden administration, IDL’s support for federal forest management had been limited to two small areas. The governor’s executive order, combined with the Trump administration’s actions, is expected to enable treatment on millions of additional acres.
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Governor Little signs executive order aimed at reducing wildfires in Idaho
KBOI2, 4-22-25
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Governor Little issued an executive order Tuesday titled the "Make Forests Healthy Again Act," directing the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) to expand its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.
The Governor's new directive is intended to complement a March 1 executive order issued by President Trump called the "Freeing our Forests Act," and a memo released by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins aimed at improving forest health and minimizing wildfire risk through increased management of federal forests.
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Governor Little's executive order expands on what previously was only a very small section of national forests in Idaho, where IDL could assist the federal government. The State of Idaho's Forest Action Plan and fire risk map will help identify the forests in greatest need of management due to disease, which can then be targeted for fuel reduction projects. You can track the progress of the collaboration between Idaho and the federal government here.
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Governor Little backs Trump’s order to increase timber production in national forests
KIVI, 4-22-25
BOISE, Idaho — Governor Brad Little has announced that state agencies in Idaho will join federal efforts to enhance forest management, following President Trump's recent executive order that aims to increase timber production on national forests.
"The Trump administration is enacting common-sense forest management policy changes that reflect Idaho values," Governor Little said in a press release. "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."
Gov. Little has directed the Idaho Department of Lands and other state agencies to pinpoint opportunities to work with Trump's “Freeing our Forests” executive order. This directive seeks to "increase domestic timber production and streamline federal policies to enhance forest management, reduce wildfire risks, and decrease reliance on imported timber," according to the White House.
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Idaho governor signs order to boost wildfire prevention efforts in state forests
KREM2, 4-22-25
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Idaho Governor Brad Little signed an executive order Tuesday morning regarding wildfire mitigation and management within the Gem State.
Little signed the “Make Forests Healthy Again Act,” which asks the Idaho Department of Lands to expand its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to increase forest management activities and reduce wildfire risks on federally managed national forests in Idaho.
According to Little's office, the Good Neighbor Authority and Shared Stewardship programs are already in effect, working on more forest management activities in Idaho. Little's office also said the State of Idaho’s Forest Action Plan and fire risk map will help identify forests in need of management in the state.
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Gov. Little issues executive order to safeguard Idaho’s federal forests
Local News 8, 4-22-25
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - Governor Brad Little is taking steps to minimize wildfire risk through increased management of Idaho's federal forests.
Tuesday, the governor issued a new executive order, the "Make Forests Healthy Again Act," directing the Idaho Department of Lands to expand its partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to increase management activities and reduce fire risk in Idaho's federally managed national forests.
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PotlatchDeltic Contributes to Heyburn Elementary Playground
MorningStar, 4-18-25
PotlatchDeltic has contributed to several initiatives in St. Maries, Idaho that focus on supporting child health and education, and a vibrant community. Heyburn Elementary School did not have a playground that could be used by the typical 90-120 students that are ready to play and exercise during recess. When a local initiative began raising funds to construct a new playground, PotlatchDeltic stepped in as the key contributor to allow the playground to be completed sooner than if a lengthy fundraising campaign was required.
The initial phases included the installation of swing sets and an adventure playground that provided children with a wide range of activities on slides, ladders, climbers, bridges and platforms, and tunnels. Others in the community, including representatives from the Idaho Department of Lands, volunteered to install the playground. During the installation, children from the school would watch from nearby with excitement for the adventures that soon awaited. The final phase will add an obstacle course with multiple climbers and a rock-climbing wall and is expected to be completed in 2025.
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Hailey P&Z approves phase 2 of Ellsworth Inn conversion
Mountain Express, 4-9-25
The Hailey Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday voted unanimously to approve a duplex building and a site-wide landscaping plan for the Ellsworth Inn property, allowing nonprofit developer ARCH Community Housing Trust to forge ahead with its second phase of redevelopment of the historic site.
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Griffith told the Express that ARCH is “still fundraising for phase two,” but has secured a $1 million match and expects to receive an Idaho Department of Lands grant to pay for some of the landscaping. She said she could not provide a “firm” estimate of the IDL grant amount yet.
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Fire Officials Talk Wildfire Preparedness in Latah County
Pullman Radio, 4-4-25
With Summer approaching, Latah County emergency responders are working to keep the community informed about reducing the risk of wildfires.
The Latah Community Emergency Response Team is hosting a wildfire preparation meeting on April 7 at 3:00 pm in the Conference Room in the Federal Building behind the Post Office.
Presenters from the Moscow Fire Department, Idaho Department of Lands, and Latah County Sheriff’s Office will discuss wildfire preparedness and resources available to county residents.
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$240K grant targets Tubbs Hill
Idaho men defrauded feds, ‘selfishly damaged’ wildfire services. Here’s how
EastIdahoNews.com, 4-3-25
SALMON (Idaho Statesman) — Two Idaho men accused of working together to rig contract prices for firefighting equipment used by the U.S. Forest Service have pleaded guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges.
The Office of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a news release last week that 62-year-old Kris Bird, of Salmon, submitted a guilty plea in late March for seven charges — five counts of wire fraud and one count each of bid rigging and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Bird was scheduled to stand trial on the charges in two weeks.
Co-conspirator Ike Tomlinson, of Terreton, pleaded guilty in May 2024, according to a separate news release.
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Your voice matters on proposed logging projects - Opinion
Bonner County Daily Bee, 3-30-25
It’s not too late to stop the Almost Round Lake logging project by the Idaho Department of Lands adjacent to Round Lake State Park. The logging plan includes clearcuts and seed tree clearcuts, threatens the park, nearby trails, and local biodiversity.
The proposed clearcut on the south side will destroy an ecologically intact forest that buffers temperature and moisture extremes, stores carbon, and provides habitat for goshawks. Trails to the dam on both sides of Cocolalla Creek will be impacted, and old trees — essential for the ecosystem — will be lost. Despite public perception, this land and trails to the dam are not part of the park but should be. Both units will heat up the local landscape and expose adjacent forests in the park to windthrow.
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Wildfire Mitigation Awards 2025 recipients announced across four US states
International Fire & Safety Journal, 3-27-25
Five awarded for wildfire mitigation leadership and impact
Five individuals and organisations have been named recipients of the 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Awards.
The awardees were selected for their leadership in wildfire prevention efforts across Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho and Florida.
The awards recognise community-level action, technical innovation, and collaboration in reducing wildfire risk.
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Public sector wildfire mitigation efforts in Idaho and Florida
Tyre Holfeltz of the Idaho Department of Lands received the award for his work in helping counties update Community Wildfire Protection Plans and for developing vegetation management partnerships with utility companies.
He contributed to the development of a geospatial database and served in the national Grant Accomplishment Reporting Portal working group.
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Take Your Kids to Work Day
Posted April 24, 2025
Today’s coworkers are a little shorter, a lot sillier, and way more interested in snack breaks! We celebrated Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day in style with a "Land Board" meeting, a tour of the capital, lots of fun activities, and of course, Smokey Bear.
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