Current News Coverage
Idaho budget committee rejects proposals to partially restore wildfire funding cuts
Idaho Capital Sun, 3-4-26
The Idaho Legislature’s budget committee rejected a pair of proposals Wednesday that would have restored a total of $285,000 in state funding for wildfire protection that the Idaho Legislature cut last month.
“It’s unfortunate that we are looking at these further reductions to the fire program when the fire threat and fire severity in the state is only getting worse,” Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said in an interview after legislators rejected the funding Wednesday.
Last month, the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, approved additional budget cuts for most state agencies and departments in the current fiscal year 2026 and next year’s fiscal year 2027.
Read Idaho Capital Sun article
JFAC votes down wildland firefighter funding requests
Idaho Press, 3-4-26
BOISE — The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted down two separate requests from the Idaho Department of Lands to restore wildfire funding. The pair of votes establish cuts for the department that went beyond the 3% reductions recommended by Gov. Brad Little and were previously warned to significantly impact Idaho’s ability to combat more costly fire seasons.
The funding vote for this fiscal year concerned $125,000 for the department’s forest and range fire protection program, which would have mostly restored the $131,800 the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) previously voted to cut as part of broad agency cuts.
Rep. James Petzke, R-Meridian, urged the committee to vote against the funding request and referenced the $1 million fire bonus the legislature approved last year as the reason behind his lack of support for the restoration. Petzke said he took issue with this money — which provided “wildland firefighters and other critical support staff” with one-time bonuses — going to IDL personnel outside of just firefighters.
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High fire danger in Texas prompts response from Idaho fire crews
KIVI, 3-2-26
IDAHO — Fire season in Idaho is still — hopefully —a few months away, but conditions in Texas are already ripe for wildfires, prompting Idaho crews to lend a hand.
Terry Zufelt, an Idaho Department of Lands Fire Warden, usually works in Coeur d’Alene, but right now he is leading a strike team of engines in Texas.
“There's over 1,000 firefighters from outside of Texas who are here right now,” Zufelt said.
He explained that Texas is facing dangerous fire conditions across the state.
Read KIVI article or watch story
Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho reaches $130,000 in three-year support of Rangeland Protection Fire Associations
Idaho State Journal, 3-2-26
For the third consecutive year, Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho has donated $45,000 to support Idaho's Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, reinforcing the company's long-term commitment to protecting rural communities and agricultural lands from wildfire.
With this year's contribution, the company has committed a total of $130,000 over the past three years to Idaho's volunteer wildfire response network.
The $45,000 donation, representing support for nine RFPAs across the state, was presented on Feb. 17, as the associations prepared for the upcoming fire season. Each RFPA will receive $5,000 to assist with equipment, training and operational readiness.
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"Idaho's RFPAs are an essential part of our wildfire response system," said Alex Cox, South Idaho fire liaison with the Idaho Department of Lands. "Their ability to respond quickly in remote areas helps protect lives, property and natural resources. Partnerships like this one with Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho provide meaningful support that helps keep our volunteers equipped, trained, and ready to serve their communities."
Read Idaho State Journal article
Budget cuts could mean fewer firefighters for wildfires
The Challis Messenger, 2-28-26
A new round of state budget cuts approved by the Idaho Legislature’s budget committee will likely force the state to hire fewer seasonal firefighters and cut back on fire prevention work, which increases fire risk across the state, the director leading Idaho’s state wildfire response efforts said.
At a time when Idaho’s population is increasing, fire seasons are growing longer and more intense and more people are living next to forest lands in the wildland urban interface, Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said the smart move would be to invest in and modernize Idaho’s wildfire response program, not cut it back.
“Everybody is concerned about fire risk in Idaho. … You’ve seen the growth in the state, the expansion of the wildland urban interface and the increase in number of human-caused fires we have been experiencing in the past several years,” Miller said last week.
Read Challis Messenger article
Idaho legislative recap: Key bills spark statehouse debate
KTVB, 2-27-26
BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Legislature is dealing with several proposals, including measures involving public lands, immigration enforcement and public education.
One Senate joint resolution would amend the Idaho Constitution to ensure any federal lands the state may acquire in the future cannot be sold. Instead, those lands would be placed in a protected trust and managed for recreation, wildlife, schools and long-term conservation.
Right now, most of Idaho’s public land is managed by federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. The proposed amendment is aimed at a future scenario where those lands are turned over to the state, making sure Idaho couldn’t later sell them off.
For the bill's sponsor, Sen. Ben Adams, the issue is personal.
Read KTVB article
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