Category: All News Releases
Logging of dead and dying trees hit by tussock moth is underway
(BOISE) – Trucks loaded with trees damaged by the Douglas-fir tussock moth infestation in the Packer John State Forest are making their way to area sawmills. The Idaho Department of Lands sold nearly 2,000 acres of dead and dying timber as part of two salvage sales. The tree harvest reduces fire risk, addresses safety concerns to the recreating public, and clears the way to plant trees that are less preferred by tussock moth. The salvage sales also generate money to help fund public schools in Idaho.
B-roll with interview and photos/media opportunity today
High-quality video of logging of the dying trees, photos, and a video interview with Chris Clark, Idaho Department of Lands Resource Manager, is available to the media here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t4u1n97k260o4s4/AACRHSKMJJgSEFadJcEajbl6a?dl=0
Chris Clark is available in person today at noon at the Garden Valley Market in Crouch, Idaho. From there he will escort media in their own vehicles up logging roads for interviews and to see the logging operation. The logging is 40 minutes from Crouch. If you would like to meet Chris, please contact Robbie Johnson, Public Information Officer with the Idaho Department of Lands at (208) 908-1786 by 10:30 am.
Additional information: The Hidden Scriver Salvage has loaded logging trucks traveling north through Smiths Ferry on Idaho 55 through Cascade, McCall, then arriving at mills in Grangeville and New Meadows. Logging will start in the Center Howell Salvage area in a few weeks. Those trucks will be traveling south on Idaho 55 into Horseshoe Bend, then turning onto Idaho 52 to reach a mill in Emmett.
All merchantable damaged trees within the salvage sale areas will be harvested except for ponderosa pine and spruce trees, which are not commonly damaged by tussock moth. Those species make up a small percentage of trees within the harvest areas. Most of the logging for these sales will take place this fall until snowfall accumulation makes logging too difficult.
Following salvage operations, the land will be planted with a variety of tree species (ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce and western larch) to make the forest less susceptible to this type of catastrophic damage in the future. While this current tussock moth outbreak has run its course, outbreaks historically happen every 10 to 20 years.
IDL and the Boise National Forest are both working to remove tussock moth damaged trees through timber sales in the area. “Leaving the dead trees standing there, they will decompose, fall over roads, and present other safety hazards,” said Carol Ross, Forest Service Representative for the Boise National Forest. “We are mitigating those future hazards now, and recovering some of the timber value at the same time.”
“These efforts have already resulted in a healthier forest,” said Chris Clark, Lands Resource Specialist, with the Idaho Department of Lands. “The landscape is green, instead of darkened by dead trees.”
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Other Media Materials
Drone video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzXvyvobbc&list=PLexGgZqmpm6I_iu1RIoKUbfDxwvwTDJbX
Douglas-fir tussock moth FAQs: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/forestry/forest-health/packer-john-salvage/dftm-2019-faqs-072919.pdf
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
Robbie Johnson, Public Information Officer Idaho Department of Lands W: (208) 334-0286 C: (208) 908-1786 pio@idl.idaho.gov
IDL fire safety burn permit season ends October 21
(BOISE) – Fire safety burn permits from the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) are no longer required for burning activities outside of city limits beginning Oct. 21.
The fire safety burn permit from IDL is required for any burning (excluding recreational campfires) outside of city limits during closed fire season, from May 10 through Oct. 20 annually.
While state permits will not be required after the 20th, local fire departments, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and/or tribal authorities should be contacted before burning to determine if other permits are required or if local restrictions are in place.
Humans, not lightning, caused approximately 60 percent of the wildfires this year on lands protected by the Idaho Department of Lands, accounting for more than 98 percent of the acres burned. Many of these fires were preventable as they were ignited by escaped debris burning and campfires.
Please use caution whenever burning by following these steps:
- Check for required permits. Don’t forget to check with local fire departments, DEQ, and/or tribal authorities.
- Be prepared. Keep water, a shovel and other resources on hand to prevent the fire from spreading.
- Check weather conditions. Do not burn when it is windy or when there is a chance weather conditions may change during burning.
- Look up. Choose a safe site for burning- away from power lines, overhanging limbs, buildings, vehicles, and equipment.
- Look around. The burn site should be free from any other combustible materials and dry vegetation.
- Keep your pile at a manageable size. Add additional debris slowly as the pile burns down.
- Monitor. Check the burn area regularly, especially if the weather is warm, dry, and/or windy.
While burn permits are not required after Oct. 20, IDL encourages those who plan to burn to complete the online form as it helps inform fire managers where burning activities are occurring, reducing the number of false runs to fires and saving firefighting resources for instances in which they are truly needed. The permit is free and can be obtained online at burnpermits.idaho.gov or in person at IDL offices statewide.
The IDL issued nearly 17,000 burn permits in calendar year 2018.
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NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS: Jennifer Russell, Fire Prevention and Outreach, 208-666-8685 Sharla Arledge, Public Information Officer, 208-334-0286 pio@idl.idaho.gov
Partnership helping to keep Idaho endowment lands open for recreation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2019
Partnership helping to keep Idaho endowment lands open for recreation
By Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller
This time of year, many Idahoans take to Idaho’s forests, rangelands and waterways to participate in
annual fall hunting, fishing and other activities. These traditions are woven into the fabric of our culture
in Idaho and help define us as Idahoans.
Idaho provides exceptional hunting and fishing opportunities, and is one of the most sought-after states
for an incredible outdoor experience. And what makes Idaho such a great place to pursue these
activities is access to public lands, as well as state endowment lands.
The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) manages nearly 2.5 million acres of endowment forest and
rangelands at the direction of the State Board of Land Commissioners. These lands are different than
federal public lands and are owned by the endowment beneficiaries, which are primarily Idaho public
schools.
Article IX, Section 8 of the Idaho Constitution mandates that these lands be managed in a way that
secures maximum long-term financial returns to the beneficiaries. In fact, because of this mandate, the
Land Board recently approved a 4.5 percent increase in endowment distributions. This sets a recordbreaking distribution of more than $84 million for fiscal year 2021.
The Land Board supports a policy of allowing general public recreational use of legally accessible
endowment land for activities like hunting. But only if those activities do not degrade the lands,
interfere with management activities, or otherwise negatively affect the long-term financial return to
beneficiaries.
A year-old agreement between IDL and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has successfully
helped ensure that access. Under this agreement, IDFG compensates IDL 25 cents per endowment acre
annually for public hunting, fishing, and other recreational land uses. This helps cover costs associated
with recreation management on endowment lands. The money comes from revenue generated from
hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, as well as Pittman-Robertson funds, which are an excise tax on
firearms and ammunition.
The agreement satisfies the Land Board’s responsibility to provide a financial return to the beneficiaries
for land use. And IDFG is providing conservation officer services to assist with recreation enforcement to
help ensure that recreational activities do not degrade endowment land.
In addition, IDL is inventorying trails on endowment land and determining how to provide a quality trail
experience that is compatible with the endowment mission. Designated trails will soon be mapped and
signed. Undesignated trails that cause resource damage will be closed and reclaimed.
But please be aware, even with the agreement, there are a few endowment areas not open to the public
due to safety reasons or a lack of legal access.
Access to endowment land in Idaho is important to us as Idahoans, and so long as revenue-generating
activities are respected and not impacted, these lands will remain open for public access and recreation.
As the director of the Idaho Department of Lands, I am asking you to do your part to protect
endowment land while enjoying them. Working together, we can continue to enjoy hunting and other
activities, while also supporting our school children by being good stewards of these lands.
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Invest in Tree Education
Few people who work with trees have an innate knowledge of how to best care for them. Also, science and experience are always adding new findings. Whether college educated in arboriculture or working up in the ranks of field work, everyone needs continuing education to best serve the interests of their community. Here are four good ways to economically invest in the continuing education of tree board members, workers and supervisors:
- Provide funding for attendance at one of the conferences or workshops that are listed on this page.
- Participate individually or as a group in webinars.
- Purchase and share texts on arboriculture or urban forestry.
- Download and share a complete set of Tree City USA Bulletins.
Words Make a Difference: Trimming vs. Pruning
It is more than “political correctness” to adjust words we use as times change. Words convey meaning, so it is important to be as accurate and timely as possible in how they are used. Here are two examples in the field of
urban forestry: Trimming and pruning are not the same.
We trim hedges, like mustaches, but we prune trees – or should! The difference is that trimming, or shearing, is the indiscriminate removal of unwanted parts of the plant so that it conforms to a desired shape. Pruning, on the other hand, is the selection of specific branches to be removed for some specified reason.
Another term that has been changing in recent years involves hazards. What was once called hazard tree evaluation is now better termed risk evaluation. In the former, there seemed to be an assumption that hazards exist.
This may or may not be true. Instead, a different concept is a bit like crossing a street – there is almost always some risk involved, but how much? The purpose of a tree examination is to determine the level of risk compared with the level of tolerance for that risk given the specific circumstances such as size and nature of defects if any, the tree’s location, value of the tree, the presence or absence of so-called “targets” (people, buildings, etc.). As evaluations become more sophisticated and the stakes from damage become higher, it is increasingly important to use qualified personnel to do the work.
There are now training avenues available that lead to what is called TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) credentials. Communities are urged to take advantage of this qualification either in-house or when contracting with arborists.
Volunteers Can Get It Done
Volunteers are already busy people and in all cases they have hearts of gold and a sincere desire to make the world a better place in which to live.
Americans contribute millions of hours each year to helping with good causes. As more of our population ages, many more good people are looking for ways to spend their time after leaving decades of work for retirement.
Many cities in Idaho are tapping this population to help with planting and maintaining their public trees in healthy condition. Young people, too, often seek ways to productively contribute and they not only can help, but at the same time learn about the benefits of trees and the care they need.
Community Forestry offers many opportunities for volunteerism. Lay people can plant trees and shrubs, spread mulch, water, prune young trees, distribute doorknob hangers, staff information booths, help with inventories and provide a number of other valuable services.
Twenty years ago, Boise Parks and Recreation launched their Tree Steward program, and the program is stronger than ever today. For the past two decades dedicated tree enthusiasts have volunteered their time to help maintain trees in Boise’s rights-of-way. The volunteers are trained by professional arborists from Boise Community Forestry to prune and train Boise’s young trees and do other maintenance activities. Stewards with more experience mentor new people in the program. In 2017, Boise’s Tree Stewards worked 697 hours and pruned 1,297 trees. The service they provide is invaluable in helping to grow strong healthy trees that reduce maintenance costs later and contribute to the Treasure Valley’s tree canopy for years to come.
If you are not currently using volunteers in your tree program, please consider initiating a program like Boise’s or one of the other communities that are doing this effectively. Contact one of IDL’s community forestry assistants for contact information or assistance in setting up a new program. If you already use volunteers, don’t forget to thank them! Take time to recognize your volunteers and let them know how much they are appreciated. People working in your community don’t expect much in return, just don’t waste their time and do find ways to provide recognition and thanks. This can be as simple as being mentioned during a city council meeting, or something more elaborate like a BBQ or an annual article in the local newspaper.
Encouraging Tree Planting on Private Property
What about trees on private property? Now that would be a contentious topic, especially in Idaho. But if the cleaner air, storm water retention, and other benefits provided by trees are a public good, and with approximately 80 percent of a community’s trees being in yards or other private parcels, this part of the ‘urban forest’ has to be considered.
Here are four ways cities can encourage tree planting and care without appearing to be the big ogre from government!
- Help subsidize planting shade trees purchased at local nurseries on private property.
- Sponsor traditional tree ‘give-aways’ at fairs and Arbor Day celebrations.
- Encourage planting by highlighting the benefits of trees in local media and/or door hangers.
- Visit Arbor Day Foundation’s website, arborday.org/energy. If your utility is a partner in the energy-saving tree program, you are entitled to a free shade tree for your property.
What About Street Right-of-Way Trees?
About 80% of a community’s trees are in residential yards on private property. The majority of others are on street rights-of-way. Do residents in your community know what they can and cannot do with those trees? Many do not.
- Make sure the rules are clear in the city ordinance. Is a permit needed to plant or remove a tree? Who is responsible for street and sidewalk clearance, or other pruning?
- Publicize the rules at least annually – by newspaper ads or a letter to the editor.
- Print door hangers and use Scouts or other service groups to place them at residences.
- Include occasional slips with utility bills or other mailings.
Communication prevents conflicts!
Go Easy on Tree Treatments
When pestilence arrives at our doorstep, defend we must! But a good guide to prevent unintended consequences and to protect environmental quality is: Use the minimum treatment that still gets results.
- Use good practices to keep trees healthy, and monitor regularly.
- Prune infected or damaged parts instead of using sprays when possible.
- When spraying use well-timed, low-toxicity spot spraying.
- Look into biopesticides, horticultural oils and soaps instead of petrochemicals. For more information, contact the Bio-Integral Resource Center at www.birc.org.
Four Reasons for Fall Planting
Spring is not the only time to plant trees. Consider these four reasons why it is a good idea to consider planting in autumn:
- Unlike a tree’s branches, its roots continue to elongate during winter.
- By helping roots establish over winter, tree growth will have a head start when warm weather arrives.
- After planting and initial watering, you probably will not have to worry about water again until summer.
- Many nurseries offer bargain prices on trees at this time of year.