Current News Coverage
Community Fire Protection Information Meeting for Lower Snake and Salmon River Canyons
Big Country News, 4-24-26
CRAIGMONT- Idaho Department of Lands' (IDL) Craig Mountain Forest Protective District (FPD) is hosting a meeting to help people living near the Lower Snake and Salmon River Canyons prepare for the upcoming wildfire season.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss fire prevention, explain how fire suppression is managed by IDL and the differences if a Complex Incident Management Team is called in to manage a fire.
Structure protection will also be discussed. In the spring of 2024, the Craig Mountain FPD conducted a structure assessment in the canyon, the results of that assessment will be shared.
Read Big Country News article
IDL aims to hold wildfire resources steady despite budget cuts
Capital Press, 4-24-26
Firefighter headcount and equipment availability are expected to stay around year-earlier levels for the Idaho Department of Lands this season despite recent budget cuts.
“Our plan is to not allow the deductions to affect our ability to get the job done,” said Mike McManus, IDL deputy division administrator of fire. “We’re going to do our best to not let that happen … We don’t think we’re going to see an impact to (total) firefighters on the ground.”
Availability of equipment and other resources “should be good,” and in alignment with Gov. Brad Little’s Wildfire Report Recommendations and the department’s Strategic Plan for Managing Wildland Fire, he said.
Read Capital Press article
"Women in the Woods Field Day" offers hands-on land management training in Sandpoint
KREM, 4-21-26
SANDPOINT, Idaho — Women interested in learning more about land management, forest stewardship and connecting with others in the field are encouraged to sign up for the annual "Women in the Woods Field Day," happening Friday, May 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This event will be located at Kaniksu Land Trust at 11915 W. Pine St in Sandpoint and is designed for hands-on learning in a supportive environment designed "specifically for women landowners, professionals and enthusiasts," according to the press release.
Registration is strongly encouraged due to the limited spots open for the event. Lunch is included in the ten dollar ticket needed to attend.
This event is sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands, University of Idaho, Kaniksu Land Trust and American Forest Management.
For more information, contact Audra Cochran at audrac@uidaho.edu or call (208) 476-4434.
The forest needs a hand
USDA Forest Service, 4-21-26
In forests across the United States, recovery often begins with something small.
A seed.
Over time, forests grow, adapt and renew themselves through cycles shaped by fire, weather and insects. But in some cases, forests can be pushed beyond their ability to recover quickly on their own.
That is where management begins.
Inside one cold-storage facility at the Lucky Peak Nursery in Idaho, thousands of young trees sit in carefully organized boxes, waiting for the right conditions to be planted. Each one is a carefully grown product, representing months of planning and coordination between state and federal partners.
...
For Dustin Miller, director of the Idaho Department of Lands, that cooperation is essential.
“About 95% of our acres border either the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management,” Miller said. “So, the relationship with the federal agencies matters.”
Read Forest Service article
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