Idaho Endowment Fund Investment Board Announces New Chairman

Tom Wilford 240x300

(BOISE) – The Idaho Endowment Fund Investment Board (EFIB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Wilford as its chairman, replacing Dean Buffington who served as chairman for the last 17 years.
Wilford joined the EFIB in April of 2019 and currently serves as the chair of its Audit Committee. He brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience to the chairman position. He has served as the president of Alscott, Inc. (20 years), Chief Executive Officer of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation (20 years), was a partner with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young (27 years), and served as the director of the Idaho Power Company (11 years).

Wilford holds a BSB and MSB in Accounting from the University of Minnesota and attended the University of Southern California – Business Executive Program. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
The Endowment Fund Investment Board is the nine-member board and staff established to manage and invest the proceeds generated by endowment lands; it reports to the State Board of Land Commissioners. The endowment fund generates millions for its beneficiaries every year, generated an investment return of 16.3% during calendar year 2020 and ending the year with a balance of $2.8 billion.
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NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Anton, EFIB Manager of Investments
208-334-3312 | Chris.Anton@efib.idaho.gov
efib.idaho.gov

Idaho Department of Lands Achievements for FY20

Despite many challenges of the past year, Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) had many positive achievements made possible because of its dedicated employees.

Employees met Idaho’s constitutional mandate to maximize endowment land revenue with a near-record $81 million distributed to endowment beneficiaries. IDL planted 2.1 million seedlings, harvested 247 million board feet of timber, provided 2,153 forest practice notifications and 1,280 inspections.

IDL protected 6.3 million acres from fire, issued 18,205 burn permits, and extinguished 256 wildfires with 90% held to 10 acres or less.

To help stay a step ahead of future wildfires, employees surveyed 959,465 acres for gypsy moth infestation and another 153,442 acres for Douglas-fir tussock moth.

IDL also provided 1,081 private landowners forestry training in 37 sessions. The agency acquired 41 miles of road easements which are crucial for accessing isolated parcels of endowment land. Employees managed 2,111 leases that generated $7.8 million for the beneficiaries; 1,106 of these leases allowed ranchers to graze 256,678 AUMs on endowment rangeland. IDL issued 383 new encroachment permits on public trust land, bringing the statewide total 10,509.

The IDL FY20 Annual Report can be found at https://www.idl.idaho.gov/about-us/. The fiscal year for IDL is from July 1- June 30.

Land Board approves Owyhee Land Exchange

(Boise, Idaho) – The Idaho Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) today has given its final approval to a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), trading endowment trust land within the Owyhee Canyonland Wilderness with federal lands outside the designated wilderness area.

The exchange will allow both Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and the BLM to acquire lands better suited to their missions and objectives. More than 31,000 acres of non-wilderness federal land will be exchanged for nearly 24,000 acres of state endowment land.  The equal value exchange is based on the appraised value of the lands being exchanged, not the size of the parcels.

There are 40 endowment parcels with 17 grazing leases that will be exchanged for 11 federal parcels with 18 grazing permits. IDL with honor the remaining duration of BLM grazing permits by issuing Land Use Permits for the time remaining.

IDL will acquire parcels adjacent to existing endowment lands that have access, creating larger endowment blocks, reducing the expense of managing scattered parcels and increases potential revenue for trust beneficiaries.

The land acquired by the BLM with allow for consistent management within the wilderness area and will enhance dispersed backcountry recreation by facilitating access to wilderness and improving opportunities for hunting, camping, fishing and river floating.

Closing on the exchange will not be completed until the BLM completes the last of its processes, including publishing a Notice of Decision and a public comment period.

This nearly 12-year process that began in 2008 has involved numerous stakeholders.

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CONTACT:   Sharla Arledge | PIO | 208-334-0286 | pio@idl.idaho.gov

Endowment Fund nears $3 billion after a strong end to 2020

(Boise, Idaho) When Idaho became a state, the Congress of the United States endowed certain lands to be used to generate income for education and other important purposes in Idaho. Now, 130 years later, proceeds generated from these lands may soon reach a historic milestone.

The Endowment Fund Investment Board was established to manage and invest the proceeds generated by endowment lands. The endowment fund generated an investment return of 16.3% during calendar year 2020 and ended the year with a balance of $2.8 billion.

The endowment fund generates millions for its beneficiaries every year and distributions in fiscal year 2021 set another record: More than $88 million in distributions will go to endowment land beneficiaries. In addition to earnings from the endowment fund, money comes from timber sales and leases on Idaho’s 2.5 million acres of endowment land.

How did the fund do so well? “As we look back at calendar year 2020, the performance of our portfolio stands in stark contrast to the impact the COVID-19 virus has had on our lives,” Chris Anton, Manager of Investments for the Endowment Fund Investment Board reported to the State Board of Land Commissioners this morning.

“Emergency programs in March and April by the Federal Reserve provided liquidity to financial markets and breathed life into the employment market,” said Anton. “Congress enacted the CARES Act which provided $2.2 trillion in funding to individuals and small businesses most affected by the crisis. This was supplemented by another $900 billion in stimulus at the end of the year. This support and extraordinary efforts to develop vaccines gave investors the confidence that we would work our way through the pandemic and bolstered the performance of financial markets.”

The Endowment Fund Investment Board is the nine-member board and staff that provide professional investment management services to the State Board of Land Commissioners, which provides direction to the Idaho Department of Lands.

Each endowment has both permanent assets – which can never be spent – and a reserve fund of accumulated earnings. The trust also includes 2.5 million acres of endowment trust land. Investment earnings from the permanent fund as well as revenue generate by the land, such as the money from timber sales, go to the earnings reserve fund. The Land Board annually determines the allocation of the reserve account – how much to distribute to the beneficiaries, how much to transfer to the permanent fund to offset inflation, and how much to retain for future distribution.

Endowment distributions support Idaho public schools, universities, state hospitals for the mentally ill, state veterans homes, the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind, Idaho’s juvenile corrections system, and Idaho’s prison system. The Land Board is comprised of the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Controller, and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Thousands of trees burned in Woodhead Fire harvested quickly to help fund Idaho schools

(McCall, Idaho) Trees blackened by the Woodhead Fire near Council, Idaho still have value in the timber market, but not for long. That’s why Idaho Department of Lands forestry staff began evaluating the potential for selling the burned trees as salvage sales even before the fire was contained. Logging is already underway in the snow-covered area and began in late October.

The Woodhead Fire started September 7, 2020 near Highway 71, northwest of Cambridge, Idaho, near Brownlee Reservoir on Idaho Endowment Land. Within a few days, the fire had grown toward Council, ultimately burning nearly 100-thousand acres.

About 20,000 acres of Idaho Endowment Land was impacted by the fire. These are lands where trees are grown to eventually harvest to generate funds for Idaho schools and other beneficiaries and provide renewable forest products.

“Many of these endowment trees were sold for harvest prior to the Woodhead Fire, but the harvest was not finished before the fire hit,” said Luke Pate, Idaho Department of Lands Forester in the Payette Lakes Supervisory Area. “This was a devastating fire, but instead of letting these trees go to waste, we have modified three timber contracts to account for the burned timber, and there are additional new sales for other burned trees.”

“Where we first started the salvage work it was sad. Just total devastation as far as you could see, there wasn’t a green needle, a green blade of grass, there was nothing,” said Joe Mahon with Tom Mahon Logging.

Broadcast-quality video and pictures of logging of burned trees, plus an interview with Luke Pate, Idaho Department of Lands Forester can be found here, as well as a video of the active fire: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2hmhn5xqr2f8vdt/AAB25UXbzex8KBrSc5yYYKmIa?dl=0

While the damaged trees are not as valuable as green trees, revenue from the harvests in the area are still expected to generate $2.1 million for endowment beneficiaries.  Idaho Department of Lands salvage timber sales in the area will continue for the next couple of years. Reforestation and monitoring of the area for additional damage will be ongoing.

On Forest Service lands within the Woodhead Fire area, the Payette National Forest is working with Idaho Department of Lands through the Good Neighbor Authority partnership on planning salvage and timber sales to capture timber value and promote forest health in the area.

 

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Media Contact

Robbie Johnson
PIO – Idaho Department of Lands
208 908-1786
rjohnson@idl.idaho.gov

$52.5 million endowment lands and fund distribution to Idaho Schools

(BOISE) – Due to COVID-19, the traditional high school choir performance for the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) and check presentation to the students at the State Capitol did not take place this year.

The Land Board instead presented a large, symbolic check to school children this year by video during the live Land Board meeting December 15. The virtual presentation recognizes the endowment lands and fund distribution of $52,586,400 for the current school year (Fiscal Year 2021). The video is available for media use and can be found here: https://youtu.be/OBd6uFpqF8U

There are nine endowment beneficiaries that include Idaho’s public schools, universities, state hospitals for the mentally ill, state veterans homes, the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind, Idaho’s juvenile corrections system, and Idaho’s prison system.

Planning for the future, the Land Board has also approved the distribution for Fiscal Year 2022 (July 2021-June 2022). A total of $88,076,500 will be distributed to the endowment beneficiaries, with $54,798,000 going to public schools next school year, which is an increase from Fiscal Year 2021.

The money for endowment beneficiary distribution comes from timber sales, leases on endowment lands and earnings from the land grant endowment fund. The land grant endowment fund of $2.4 billion generated an investment return of 5.2 % for the year ending June 30, 2020.

The Land Board is comprised of the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Controller, and Superintendent of Public Schools.

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CONTACT: Sharla Arledge, Public Information Officer | 208-334-0286 or pio@idl.idaho.gov

Douglas-fir tussock moth subsides in southern Idaho, new outbreak discovered in northern Idaho

(Coeur d’Alene) – The summer of 2020 saw the collapse of one outbreak of Douglas-fir tussock moth in southern Idaho near Smiths Ferry. However, new outbreaks in northern Idaho forests were found in August 2020. The damaged trees are easily seen from Interstate 90 and have a reddish hue to the tops and outer branches.

Damage was observed in two general areas in Idaho; in the Silver Valley along the I-90 corridor, and east of Clarkia. In Silver Valley, surveys found few egg masses and evidence of parasites and virus in the populations near Wallace and Mullan. This indicates the Silver Valley moth populations appear unhealthy and will likely collapse next year. In contrast, the Douglas-fir tussock moth populations found east of Clarkia near the Floodwood State Forest and south of Avery appear to be healthy and are building, and defoliation will probably increase next year.

About 13,700 acres of defoliation occurred in northern Idaho in 2020, but damage also occurred in western Montana. Aerial surveys mapped over 73,000 total acres of defoliation of Douglas-fir and grand fir between the two states.

Previous Douglas-fir tussock moth activity: Douglas-fir tussock moth is a native caterpillar throughout the West and typically has outbreaks in northern Idaho every 8-12 years that last 2-4 years. The last outbreak in northern Idaho occurred from 2010-2012 and reached 68,000 acres of defoliation in 2011. Southern Idaho is on a different outbreak schedule. The recent southern Idaho outbreak affected over 200,000 acres at its peak in 2019.

About the Douglas-fir tussock moth: The caterpillars eat green tree needles, which is called defoliation, and prefer to feed on grand fir and Douglas-fir. After severe defoliation, entire trees or treetops may die, but trees usually make a full recovery from light or moderate defoliation. Outbreaks end on their own due to caterpillar starvation, natural enemies such as parasitic wasps and flies, as well as a viral disease that is specific to this species.

Monitoring for Douglas-fir tussock moth in previously impacted areas: The Idaho Department of Lands and U.S. Forest Service – Forest Health Protection conduct annual surveys to determine moth population levels in areas where outbreaks have historically occurred. Historical outbreak areas include the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, McCroskey State Park, and the Moscow Mountain area of Benewah and Latah Counties. Trapping in these areas found high trap catches of adult moths, indicating building moth populations, but no defoliation has occurred yet in those areas. Fall surveys for Douglas-fir tussock moth egg masses, the overwintering life stage of the insect, are helpful to predict where defoliation may occur in 2021. No egg masses were found in the usual outbreak areas of Latah and Benewah counties this fall, but it is possible that egg masses were too high in the trees to see from the ground. Douglas-fir tussock moths have a natural inclination to move upwards in a tree, and egg masses will be concentrated in treetops until populations are very large. Therefore, defoliation in the historic outbreak areas is still possible in 2021. High trap captures were also found at four sites in the Nez Perce National Forest near Elk City, and egg masses were found at one of these sites, so defoliation is also possible in this area.

For more information: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/forestry/insects-and-disease/

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

 

Erika Eidson

Forest Health Specialist

Idaho Department of Lands

(208) 666-8625

eeidson@idl.idaho.gov

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Winning bidder announced for communications site lease in Blaine County

(Jerome) Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) held a virtual auction for the Blaine County Buttercup communications site lease (M700084) today at 11 a.m. MT which lasted about 30 minutes.

The lease site is on an 80-acre parcel owned by the University of Idaho endowment, with the parcel being auctioned totaling .23 acres. There were two bidders at the table: Sun Valley Media Group, LLC & Newmax, LLC. Because communication site lease rates are set by the State Board of Land Commissioners, the live auction was for a bonus payment which is an amount above the set lease rate that will be paid to the University of Idaho endowment fund at the end of the auction.

The winner of the auction was Newmax LLC, which bid $15,500 as the highest bonus payment.

The first year of rent will be $18,969.03 with annual 3% increases for the life of the 20-year lease. The rent will increase if co-locators are added in the future. The tower is expected to be 120 feet tall. Including the premium bid, over the 20-year life of the lease, $525,204.94 gross revenue will be generated for the University of Idaho.

In December 2019, IDL advertised the lease application for four weeks. The media and the public were invited to watch the auction.

IDL is responsible for generating revenue for the endowment beneficiaries by leasing and authorizing the use of approximately 2.5 million acres of available state endowment trust land. Land use leases and permits include grazing, farming, conservation, residential cottage sites, and commercial sites that include cell towers, ski resorts, and air strips.

For more information regarding the leasing process please visit https://www.idl.idaho.gov/leasing/.

 

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Media Contact – Robbie Johnson, PIO, Idaho Department of Lands

208-908-1786 – rjohnson@idl.idaho.gov

IDL seeks nominations for positions on Forest Practices Advisory Committee, sets date for next meeting

(COEUR D’ALENE) – The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is seeking nominations for two expiring term appointments on the Idaho Forest Practices Advisory Committee (FPAC).

The committee’s next meeting is set for Thursday, December 17, 2020, in Coeur d’Alene.

The purpose of FPAC, as established by Idaho Code, is to provide technical assistance to IDL and the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) in matters relating to the Idaho Forest Practices Act.  The IDL director appoints the members for three-year terms.

The FPAC typically meets two or three times per year depending on current issues. It is comprised of nine voting members qualified by experience and/or training to provide advice related to forest practices. Members include: a fisheries biologist; three private forest landowners who regularly engage in forest practices (one from north Idaho, one from south Idaho and one nonindustrial); two forest practice operators (one from north Idaho and one from south Idaho); and three representatives of the general public (one from north Idaho, one from south Idaho and one at-large).

Position details: The Forest Landowner South and the General Public Representative North three-year term appointments expire December 31. Current members Mr. Kelly Riggs (Landowner South Representative) and Dr. Timothy Link (General Public Representative North) have indicated to IDL their interest in continuing to serve additional terms.  Other nominations for these two positions will be considered as well.  Applicants must be Idaho residents. Interested organizations or individuals nominating for a position must send a short biography and description of the person’s experience and/or training related to forest practices to Gary Hess, Forestry Assistance Bureau, Regulatory and Stewardship Program Manager, by emailing ghess@idl.idaho.gov. Hess can also be reached by calling 208-666-8636.  Nominations close December 15, 2020.

Meeting details: The committee will meet at 9 a.m. PT on Thursday, December 17, 2020 in a Zoom conference.  One or more IDL Staff/FPAC Members may meet in person at the IDL Coeur d’Alene Staff office (Wolf Lodge room) and the IDL Boise Director’s Office (Garnet West room). The meeting is open to the public; an RSVP is required for anyone planning to attend in-person; in-person attendance will be limited by current Covid pandemic health restrictions to eight persons. In-person attendees must RSVP by December 14, 2020.  The agenda includes continued discussion of the 2014 Class I streamside tree-retention rule (or shade rule), equipment definitions for Cable-Assisted, Mechanized Harvesting and potential language clarification of existing rules. For further information, contact Forestry Assistance Bureau, Regulatory and Stewardship Program Manager Gary Hess by calling 208-666-8636 or emailing ghess@idl.idaho.gov.

 

CONTACT:                            Gary Hess

IDL Regulatory and Stewardship Program Manager

3284 W. Industrial Loop

Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815

(208) 666-8636

ghess@idl.idaho.gov

IDL GIS and Remote Sensing staff selected for the 2020 ESRI Special Achievement in GIS award

We are celebrating #GISDay by congratulating the IDL GIS and Remote Sensing staff in being selected for the 2020 ESRI Special Achievement in GIS award. See what Idaho Department of Lands staff can do with our 2020 Fire Season in review: https://arcg.is/1qCLbL

ESRI is considered the global leader in location intelligence. At IDL, ESRI technology is used at every level to support our mission. From data analysis to mapping, including web maps and applications, GIS and remote sensing work to build efficiencies and support decision makers. The award was given to just 170 winners out of more than 400,000 Global ESRI users.