Current News Coverage
Idaho Department of Lands and the U.S. Forest Service invest $12.4M in new agreement
UI Argonaut, 10-8-26
The U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands came to an agreement in early October to work together to manage the forests of Idaho. The collaborative effort between the two agencies is supposed to last approximately 20 years and aims to provide restoration efforts and other management efforts to increase the health of the national forests within the state of Idaho. Federal funding that will come with the agreement is $12.4 million, and that money will go towards reforestation and management efforts between the two agencies.
The management services and restoration efforts include “timber sale preparation, hazardous fuel reduction, road improvement, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery and watershed management.” All of these services aim to “reduce wildfire risk” and make the forests within Idaho healthier, while also providing a “long term management” plan.
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United Payette to end endowment land lease amid push for land swap
Valley Lookout, 10-7-26
A recreation lease for more than 1,200 acres of state endowment land around Payette Lake will be allowed to expire at the end of the year.
The lease currently covers 1,037 acres of endowment land along the southern portion of Warren Wagon Road, along with 165 acres south of Luck’s Point along Eastside Drive.
The Idaho Department of Lands issued the lease in 2023 to Valley County, which held the lease in partnership with United Payette, an advocacy group for endowment land preservation in the McCall area.
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Boise developer eyes commercial, industrial development on state land near Micron
BoiseDev, 10-6-26
Both industrial and commercial projects could be coming to a busy corner by Micron, for at least the next 49 years.
As BoiseDev reported, Adler Industrial was selected as the winner in a request-for-proposals process for a lease on state-owned endowment land near Micron, located near the intersection of Highway 21 and Federal Way. At the time of the report, the details of what Adler had proposed for the 31-acre property were not made public.
Under the Idaho Public Records Act, BoiseDev received documents from a September meeting. The documents show the developer plans to use 23.4 acres for industrial projects and the remaining 7.8 acres for commercial use.
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Idaho Gets a 20-Year Federal Forest Deal. More Than 100 Timber Sales Could Follow
The Idaho Times, 10-5-26
Idaho is preparing for more than 100 future timber sales on federal forests under a package of five agreements announced Oct. 2. The U.S. Forest Service and state land managers are putting $12.4 million in new federal funding behind work that ranges from removing fire-prone vegetation to rebuilding roads and replanting trees.
At the center of the package is a 20-year agreement that reaches every national forest in Idaho. For communities that depend on timber work or live near fire-prone public land, the arrangement connects two practical needs: a supply of wood for industry and treatment of forests around places where people live and work.
The sales are a forecast of future work, not a list of completed auctions.
Read the Idaho Times article
Idaho forests to get $12.4M boost for restoration and wildfire risk reduction
KBOI2, 10-2-26
NAMPA, Idaho — A new set of agreements between the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Lands is set to pump millions of federal dollars into forest restoration and timber work across Idaho, with officials saying the effort will speed up treatments aimed at improving forest health and reducing wildfire risk.
The U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Lands announced five new Good Neighbor Authority agreements to expand active forest management, accelerate restoration and strengthen long-term collaboration across Idaho’s national forests.
The agreements provide $12.4 million in federal funding for timber sale preparation and implementation, hazardous fuels reduction, road improvements, timber salvage, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery, thinning, watershed protection and other forest restoration activities.
Read KBOI2 article
Forest Service, Department of Lands forge new agreements to expand collaborative land management
Fox26, 10-2-26
BOISE — The U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands announced an expanded forest management partnership on Friday with the singing of a 20-year collaborative agreement.
The two natural resource agencies announced five new Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreements that will provide $12.4 million in federal funding for a range of forest management aims including timber sale preparation, hazardous fuel reduction, road improvement, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery and watershed protection.
“These agreements strengthen Idaho’s partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and provide a long-term framework for increasing forest management and reducing wildfire risk,” Gov. Brad Little said in a release. “This work supports my Make Forests Healthy Again Executive Order and our shared commitment to healthy, resilient forests and strong rural communities.”
Read Fox26 article
Forest Service, Department of Lands forge new agreements
Lewiston Tribune, 10-3-26
BOISE — The U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands announced an expanded forest management partnership on Friday with the singing of a 20-year collaborative agreement.
The two natural resource agencies announced five new Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreements that will provide $12.4 million in federal funding for a range of forest management aims including timber sale preparation, hazardous fuel reduction, road improvement, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery and watershed protection.
“These agreements strengthen Idaho’s partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and provide a long-term framework for increasing forest management and reducing wildfire risk,” Gov. Brad Little said in a release. “This work supports my Make Forests Healthy Again Executive Order and our shared commitment to healthy, resilient forests and strong rural communities.”
Read Lewiston Tribune article
U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands expand partnership to increase active forest management across Idaho
Coeur d'Alene Press, 10-3-26
BOISE— The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) announced five new Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreements to expand active forest management, accelerate restoration, and strengthen long-term collaboration across Idaho’s national forests.
The agreements provide $12.4 million in federal funding for timber sale preparation and implementation, hazardous fuels reduction, road improvements, timber salvage, reforestation, post-wildfire recovery, thinning, watershed protection and other forest restoration activities.
A key component is a 20-year statewide GNA agreement covering all national forests in Idaho. It establishes a long-term framework for sustained investment, coordinated planning and implementation of forest management projects.
Read CDA Press article
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