IDL tracks and monitors news coverage of our activities and significant events that may impact our operations, recapping the coverage in this newsletter.
This publication also details IDL's social media posts for the week, keeping stakeholders and our front-line customer service staff apprised of our public-facing communications.
Idaho approves burial of Snake River gas pipeline to replace aging span
Underground Infrastructure, 10-2-25
POCATELLO, Idaho (UI) — The Bureau of Land Management has approved a project to relocate and bury a natural gas pipeline beneath the Snake River near American Falls in southeast Idaho.
Intermountain Gas will remove about 1,500 feet of existing pipeline bridge and install a new six-inch-diameter section of pipe underground to meet growing industrial demand.
The pipeline currently runs across parcels managed by the BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, and Idaho Department of Lands near the BLM Pipeline Campground. Construction is scheduled for the winter months to minimize disruption to recreation, with fewer than three surface acres expected to be affected. Temporary closures of BLM facilities will be required once work begins.
Firefighting community honors Isabella Oscarson in Grangeville procession
FOX28, 10-1-25
GRANGEVILLE, Idaho – Members of the wildland firefighting community came together on Wednesday to honor fallen firefighter Isabella Oscarson with a road procession, according to the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Oscarson was killed by a falling tree during a prescribed fire on .
“Her kindness, leadership and strength will never be forgotten in Idaho,” IDL officials stated.
Chief Tom Schultz of the U.S. Forest Service expressed his condolences in response to Oscarson’s passing.
“The U.S. Forest Service and firefighting community are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Isabella Oscarson,” Schultz said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Isabella’s family, friends and crew. Together, we extend our love, strength and unwavering support during this difficult time.”
A video of the procession can be viewed on the Idaho Department of Lands Facebook page.
Firefighting community honors Isabella Oscarson in Grangeville procession
KHQ, 10-1-25
GRANGEVILLE, Idaho – Members of the wildland firefighting community came together on Wednesday to honor fallen firefighter Isabella Oscarson with a road procession, according to the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Oscarson was killed by a falling tree during a prescribed fire on September 26.
“Her kindness, leadership and strength will never be forgotten in Idaho,” IDL officials stated.
Chief Tom Schultz of the U.S. Forest Service expressed his condolences in response to Oscarson’s passing.
"The U.S. Forest Service and firefighting community are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Isabella Oscarson," Schultz said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Isabella's family, friends and crew. Together, we extend our love, strength and unwavering support during this difficult time."
$7.5 million grant supports wildfire defense in Shoshone County
KXLY, 10-1-25
SHOSHONE COUNTY, Idaho -- The largest grant for an Idaho Department of Lands project in history will be used to help communities in the Silver Valley area.
IDL was recently awarded at $7.5 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant for the Shoshone !-90 Hazardous Fuels project.
This project focuses on wildfire risk mitigation for the Silver Valley area. Under this project, over 18,000 acres of high-risk forestland and over 1,200 acres of private land will be treated in hopes of reducing the risk of wildfires.
"This project builds on years of work with Shoshone County and is essential to addressing the goals of expanding wildfire risk mitigation efforts," said Tyre Holfeltz, IDL Wildfire Risk Mitigation Program Manager. "It's about making the landscapes of Shoshone County more resilient while reducing risk to communities by connecting and expanding similarly completed and planned efforts on private, state, and federal lands."
Idaho honors passing of WM alum and seasonal firefighter Isabella Oscarson
Herald-Journal, 10-1-25 (Hometown paper)
Isabella Oscarson, 26, a Watertown-Mayer High School alum, died Sept. 26 after being struck by a falling tree during prescribed fire operations in Idaho while working as a seasonal firefighter for the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), the department announced Sept. 27.
In her honor, Idaho Governor Brad Little ordered US and state flags lowered to half-staff the day after her death, and they will remain that way until sunrise Sunday, Oct. 5.
Oscarson was assisting with the US Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest when she was struck. She was evacuated and flown to Grangeville, Idaho, where she died from her injuries.
“IDL extends its deepest sympathies to Isabella’s family and friends. This is a tragedy that hits the employees at Idaho Department of Lands and the broader wildland fire community extremely hard,” IDL Director Dustin Miller said. “We are heartbroken and doing everything we can to support her family and our staff during this difficult time.”
Oscarson graduated from Watertown-Mayer in 2017, where she participated in athletics and other activities, and later attended Ridgewater College in Hutchinson. According to the IDL, she had been a wildland firefighter for four years.
Idaho Gov. Little orders lowering of flags to honor fallen firefighter
Idaho Capital Sun, 9-30-25
Isabella Oscarson was an Idaho Department of Lands seasonal firefighter who was killed by a fallen tree during a prescribed burn. (Photo courtesy of Idaho Department of Lands)
Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Saturday ordered U.S. and state of Idaho flags be lowered to half-staff in honor of Isabella Oscarson, an Idaho Department of Lands firefighter who was killed by a fallen tree near Kooskia, Idaho.
Flags will be lowered until sunrise on Oct. 5, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“Idahoans are grieving the loss of Isabella Oscarson, a promising young woman whose life was cut far too short while serving the people of Idaho as a wildland firefighter,” Little said in the release. “Her loss is felt deeply by the firefighting community and beyond. Please join (Idaho first lady) Teresa and me in praying for Isabella’s loved ones and her Idaho Department of Lands team.”
Stites, ID - Our dear Bella has gone home to the Lord. Caring and strong, Bella filled her 26 years with purpose, adventure, and service. She died tragically as a Crew Module Leader for the Idaho Department of Lands at a prescribed burn with her beloved team.
Born on January 24, 1999, to Kelvin and Kathleen Oscarson, she graduated from Watertown (MN) High School in 2017. After earning her Associates Degree, she joined the MN Conservation Corps and worked as a Crew Leader. She then worked for the MN DNR as a Fire Resource Lead.
She settled into Floodwood with the love of her life, Matt Becker. Bella joined the local volunteer ambulance service, was close to earning an Emergency Management and Homeland Security degree, and fought fires in multiple states and Canada. Matt and Bella moved to Stites, Idaho, in early 2025, with Bella working for the Idaho Department of Lands. Bella's DNR and IDL colleagues, including excellent mentors, meant the world to her.
Bella loved outdoor adventure, cooking, baking, crafting, gardening, and reading. She cherished family and friend time, sharing her joy, quiet faith, playful humor, and funky dance moves. She wrote a children's book about firefighting, The Firebug.
In addition to Matt and her loving parents, Bella is survived by siblings Anarosa, Jacob, and Sophia; grandfather Richard Hawkins; a devoted extended family, and countless friends. Preceded in death by grandparents Mary Ann Hawkins and Betty & Walter Oscarson. Memorial in Grangeville, ID on Oct 1. In MN Visitation: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct 3; Mass of Christian Burial: 1:30 p.m. Oct 4, both at St. Charles Borromeo Church in St. Anthony. Memorials preferred to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.
Idaho Department of Lands receives $7.5M for wildfire defense
KHQ, 9-30-25
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) recently received the largest grant award for a project in the organization’s history. The Community Wildfire Defense Grant, awarded through the U.S. Forest Service, designated $7.5 million in funders for the Shoshone I-90 Hazardous Fuels Project.
The project, in partnership with Shoshone County, aims to mitigate wildfire risks in the Silver Valley area. Increased rural development has made narrow access roads ineffective during wildfires, raising concerns for local communities.
Idaho's Endowment Lands Working landscapes that help power the Gem State
KTVB, 9-30-25
When Idaho became a state in 1890, the federal government granted it more than 3.5 million acres. Today, the state owns 2.5 million acres of endowment land – just 5% of Idaho – that serves a crucial purpose beyond outdoor recreation.
"These lands that were granted to the state of Idaho were granted by the federal government, starting right around the Civil War," said Dustin Miller, director of the Idaho Department of Lands. "There has been this lack of understanding for years, really since statehood."
A Revenue Mission
The state received 3.6 million acres for the sole purpose of funding institutions needed to provide services for the new state, including the public education system, state penitentiary system, and state hospital system.
"The focus there was for the states to utilize those endowment lands to produce revenue and manage those natural resources in a way to maximize revenue for the endowment beneficiaries," Miller said. "And 85% of the acres we manage belong to Idaho's public schools."
Idaho is home to millions of acres of diverse land. From the top of Idaho's highest peak, Mt. Borah, to the depth of Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, people from around the world flock to the Gem State to see its natural beauty.
But the land, how it's managed, and by whom, has been a decades-long debate brought back into the spotlight in recent months.
Over the last several months, KTVB spoke with historians, elected officials, business owners, and conservation groups to better understand how our public lands came to be, and the lengths some are going to keep them public.
Tune in to The 208 the week of September 29 for the latest installment.
Department of Lands takes to technology to detect fires across Idaho’s diverse landscape
Idaho Business Review, 9-29-25
Whether employing the use of cameras, aircraft or lightning detection systems, no one single tactic or piece of technology can sufficiently serve as the sole resource for detecting and protecting wildfires in Idaho.
IDL partners with OroraTech in a $150,000 one-year demo
Technology provides real-time fire detection and predictive analytics
Goal: keep 95% of Idaho wildfires contained at 10 acres or less
Considering there are more than nine million acres of state, private and federal land to look after and monitor throughout the Gem State, staying ahead in the battle against such blazes is no easy task.
“We are continuously looking for innovative ways of rapidly detecting and reporting the start of a wildfire,” said Dustin Miller, director of the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), whose agency, to date, has reportedly dealt with 360 fires statewide this year alone.
One of the ways to best utilize the most efficient resources fighting fires in Idaho now includes the integration of satellite technology.
Idaho firefighter killed by falling tree during prescribed burn
A falling tree struck the seasonal firefighter on the Tinker Bugs fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests
Fire Rescue 1, 9-29-25
GRANGEVILLE, Idaho — A seasonal Idaho Department of Lands firefighter died on Sept. 26, after being struck by a falling tree while assisting on a U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn in northern Idaho, officials said.
KTVB reported the firefighter, identified as Isabella Oscarson of Minnesota, was injured on the Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests, evacuated, and flown to Grangeville, where she later died.
Idaho Department of Lands firefighter dies while assisting with prescribed fire
KHQ, 9-29-25
UPDATE: September 29 at 11:52 a.m.
Idaho Governor Brad Little ordered the lowering of all state and federal flags to half-staff in honor of Isabella Oscarson, a firefighter who was killed by a falling tree on Saturday.
Idaho firefighter died after being hit by falling tree near Kooskia
Lewiston Tribune, 9-28-25
An Idaho Department of Lands firefighter died after being hit by a falling tree on a prescribed fire near Kooskia, according to a news release from the agency.
Isabella Oscarson, of Minnesota, was helping on a U.S. Forest Service prescribed fire related to the Tinker Bugs timber sale Friday when she was hit by the tree.
According to the news release, she was evacuated from the scene of the accident and taken to Grangeville where she died.
“IDL extends its deepest sympathies to Isabella’s family and friends. This is a tragedy that hits the employees at Idaho Department of Lands and the broader wildland fire community extremely hard,” said Dustin Miller, Department of Lands director in the news release. “We are heartbroken and doing everything we can to support her family and our staff during this difficult time.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered flags lowered to half-staff until the day after the as-yet-unscheduled service for Oscarson.
“Idahoans are grieving the loss of Isabella Oscarson, a promising young woman whose life was cut far too short while serving the people of Idaho as a wildland firefighter. Her loss is felt deeply by the firefighting community and beyond. Please join Teresa and me in praying for Isabela’s loved ones and her Idaho Department of Lands team,” Little said in a prepared statement.
The timber sale and prescribed fire is south of U.S. Highway 12 above the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, southeast of Kooskia.
Gov. Brad Little orders flags lowered for firefighter killed by tree
Independent -Enterprise, 9-28-25
GRANGEVILLE — Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and State of Idaho flags to be lowered to half-staff on Saturday to honor Isabella Oscarson, who died Friday evening after being struck by a falling tree.
According to Idaho Department of Lands, Oscarson was a seasonal employee from Minnesota and had been assisting with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests.
(Missoula Current) A firefighter with the Idaho Department of Lands died Friday night after being struck by a falling tree, the agency said on Sunday.
Isabella Oscarson, a seasonal employee from Minnesota, was assisting with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests.
Oscarson was evacuated from the scene and flown to Grangeville, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Idaho firefighter dies after being struck by falling tree during prescribed burn
CBS2, 9-28-25
Isabella Oscarson, a firefighter with the Idaho Department of Lands, died Friday evening after being struck by a falling tree earlier that day.
Oscarson was assisting with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests when the incident occurred. She was evacuated and flown to Grangeville, where she succumbed to her injuries.
'We are heartbroken': Idaho firefighter dies after being struck by a tree during prescribed burn
KTVB, 9-28-25
GRANGEVILLE, Idaho — An Idaho Department of Lands firefighter died Friday after being struck by a falling tree while working on a prescribed fire in northern Idaho.
Isabella Oscarson, a seasonal employee from Minnesota, was assisting with the U.S. Forest Service's Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. According to the Idaho Department of Lands, she was evacuated after being injured and flown to Grangeville, where she later died.
"IDL extends its deepest sympathies to Isabella's family and friends," Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said. "This is a tragedy that hits the employees at Idaho Department of Lands and the broader wildland fire community extremely hard. We are heartbroken and doing everything we can to support her family and our staff during this difficult time."
Minnesota firefighter killed by falling tree while helping with controlled burn in Idaho
CBS NEWS, 9-28-25
A firefighter from Minnesota died Friday while helping the United States Forest Service with a controlled burn in Idaho, officials say.
The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) says Isabella Oscarson had been struck by a falling tree while assisting the U.S. Forest Service's Tinker Bugs with a prescribed fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. She was evacuated from the scene and flown to a hospital in Grangeville, Idaho, where she later died.
Firefighter Struck By Tree In Idaho While Working On A Prescribed Fire.
The Hotshot Wake Up, 9-27-25
An Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) wildland firefighter, Isabella Oscarson, who was a seasonal employee from Minnesota, succumbed to her injuries Friday evening after being struck by a falling tree earlier that day. Oscarson was flown to Grangeville after being struck on the prescribed fire site.
Oscarson was helping implement the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs prescribed fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests.
IDL firefighter dies while helping with prescribed fire in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest
KXLY, 9-27-25
GRANGEVILLE, Idaho -- An Idaho Department of Lands firefighter was killed Friday evening while helping with a prescribed fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest.
Isabella Oscarson was a seasonal IDL firefighter from Minnesota. She was struck by a falling tree while helping with the fire.
Oscarson was flown to Grangeville, where she died from her injuries.
IDL awards salvage timber sale following Lava Fire
Capital Press,9-26-25
The Idaho Department of Lands awarded the Lava Roadside Good Neighbor Authority Salvage Timber Sale to Coeur d’Alene-based Idaho Forest Group.
The project follows the 2024 Lava Fire, which burned about 23,000 acres in the Payette National Forest’s Council Ranger District.
Salvage operations — expected to start in coming weeks and continue through fall — are slated along about 14 miles of system roads south of the Little Weiser River between Sheep Creek and Fourbit Creek, according to a Department of Lands news release. Treatment areas include roads 50718 (Fourbit Creek), 568, 665, 802, 50180 (Sheep Creek), 800 and 50311.
Two Spokane-area organizations win millions in federal grants for wildfire mitigation
Spokesman-Review, 9-26-25
The Spokane Conservation District has received $9.2 million and the Spokane Valley Fire Department $5.5 million in grant funds for projects to prevent wildfires.
While both organizations will be using those funds from the USDA Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant program differently, they have the same goal: reduce the devastation of wildfires in the county.
“This is one of the largest investments in wildfire prevention our department has ever received,” Deputy Fire Marshal Ken Johnson of the Spokane Valley Fire Department said.
Forest service invests millions in North Idaho and Missoula regions for wildfire defense
KHQ, 9-26-25
MISSOULA, Mont. – The USDA Forest Service has announced a significant investment of over $8.7 million to help North Idaho and Montana communities reduce wildfire risk.
The funds, part of the Community Wildfire Defense grant awards, are designed to support communities with limited resources facing high wildfire risk.
Idaho Department of Lands Awards Lava Roadside GNA Salvage Timber Sale
Big Country News, 9-25-25
BOISE - The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) has awarded the Lava Roadside Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) Salvage Timber Sale to Idaho Forest Group.
The project follows the 2024 Lava Fire, which burned approximately 23,000 acres on the Payette National Forest’s Council Ranger District. Salvage operations will occur along roughly 14 miles of system roads south of the Little Weiser River between Sheep Creek and Fourbit Creek. Treatment areas include the 50718 (Fourbit Creek), 568, 665, 802, 50180 (Sheep Creek), 800, and 50311 roads.
In total, commercial harvest will occur on about 309 acres along these roads. An estimated 8,389 tons of fire-damaged timber will be removed. This work will reduce future road maintenance needs and contribute to increased timber supply in support of Executive Order 14225, Immediate Expansion of American Timber Industry.
Forest Service awards $69.5 million to Northwest fire defense projects
Capital Press, 9-25-25
The U.S. Forest Service has awarded $200 million in grants for 58 projects through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program.
The USDA announced the investments Sept. 23 and Pacific Northwest projects were awarded $69.5 million.
Washington had four projects that won $28.6 million in grants, Oregon had six projects awarded $28.5 million and Idaho had two projects that won $12.3 million in funding.
The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) will auction off two parcels in Benewah County next month according to a press release from the IDL.
Two endowment trust parcels on State 3 near Fernwood will be up for auction. According to the release, the Idaho Board of Land Commissioners have determined that the sale of the properties will be in the best interest of the endowment beneficiaries.
The Pierce Creek parcel is 6.71 acres with the reserve price of $60,000. The parcel is located 1.9 miles south of Fernwood on the west side of State 3.
The endowment beneficiary for the parcel is the School of Science Fund according to the release.
Idaho is the first state to try this new method to spot wildfires
Idaho Statesman, 9-22-25
Idaho is trying out technology that promises to detect wildfires faster than traditional methods, and the company behind the tech said it’s the first state in the country to do so at this scale.
The Idaho Department of Lands, which handles fires primarily on state-managed endowment land, began a partnership in August with OroraTech, a German company that uses satellites and thermal imaging technology to identify new fires and predict possible spread. The company said it can detect fire almost in real time.
“By partnering with the Idaho Department of Lands, we’re ensuring that firefighters across the state have access to the most advanced wildfire intelligence available,” said Thomas Gruebler, CEO of OroraTech USA, in a news release. “With the ability to detect wildfire ignitions that are the size of a small automobile, we are giving Idaho’s first responders every possible advantage in protecting lives, property and the land that defines this great state.”
The wildland firefighting community gathered in Grangeville, Idaho, today to honor the life of Bella Oscarson. Her kindness, leadership, and strength will never be forgotten in Idaho. We extend our deepest love and prayers to her family and heartfelt thanks to the many agencies who stood with us to honor Bella.
