Category: Forestry
$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
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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
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.
IDL’s strategy for McCall endowment land will be presented at Land Board meeting, but no decisions will be made
(Boise, Idaho) No action will be taken on the matter of how to best manage endowment lands around McCall during the November 17 State Board of Land Commissioners (Land Board) meeting. However, there will be an informational update on the Idaho Department of Lands Payette Endowment Lands Strategy.
The concept is a result of internal guidance and historical plans, City of McCall comprehensive planning documents, other state endowment land plans addressing similar issues, and Idaho regulations and laws.
Land Board Meeting Details
Tuesday, November 17, 9 a.m. (MT)
State Capitol, Lincoln Auditorium (WW02), Lower Level, West Wing
700 W Jefferson Street, Boise
The meeting will be conducted by virtual means; at least one Board member will attend the meeting at the physical location. The meeting is open to the public. Due to the Governor’s Stage 2 Stay Healthy Order, dated 11/13/2020, gatherings, including public meetings, are limited to 10 persons or less in physical attendance. Individuals are highly encouraged to watch online or join via teleconference.
The meeting will be streamed live at https://www.idahoptv.org/shows/idahoinsession/
Members of the public may listen to the meeting via teleconference, using the following:
Dial toll-free: 1-877-820-7831
Enter passcode: 2479959, followed by the # key
The meeting will also be streamed live on the Idaho Department of Lands Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/IdahoDepartmentofLands
Agenda and other information is available at: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/about-us/land-board/
What is Idaho Endowment Land? At statehood, Congress granted Idaho endowment trust land for the sole purpose of funding specified beneficiaries, which are largely public schools. How the Land Board must manage these lands is also written in the Idaho Constitution. Article IX, Section VIII mandates that they will be managed “…in such manner as will secure the maximum long-term financial return to the institution to which [it is] granted.”
McCall Endowment Land: There is a continued need to evaluate and discuss the future of endowment lands within and immediately outside of the City of McCall’s growth and impact areas. While timber harvesting and cottage site leases and sales have been the most visible endowment land management approaches in McCall, new opportunities to generate income for the endowment beneficiaries are being considered.
The Land Board will also listen to another round of information from Trident Holdings, LLC and their proposal for endowment land in McCall at Tuesday’s meeting. This is also an information-only item, with no decisions being made at the meeting. The previous presentation proposed a land exchange for 28,000 acres of McCall endowment land.
The next dates to note for IDL’s strategy proposal are December 15, when the draft written plan will be presented to the Land Board. Public comments to the Land Board and an open comment period is planned for January 2021. A department finalization of the plan and presentation to the Land Board is not expected until late winter/early spring.
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CONTACT: Robbie Johnson, Public Information Officer, Idaho Department of Lands
208-334-0236/ 208-908-1786
Idaho’s next steps in shared effort to reduce wildfire risk and epidemics of forest disease
(Boise, Idaho) –The Idaho Department of Lands and the USDA Forest Service are part of a shared effort in a literal sense. They are sharing staff, funding, and are joining with a governor-appointed advisory group committee to identify mutual priorities and cross-boundary forest management opportunities.
This group effort known as “Shared Stewardship” is taking place in many states, and Idaho’s “No Boundaries Forestry” approach is addressing more than 6 million acres of Idaho’s forestlands that are designated as “high risk” for potential catastrophic wildfire and insect and disease outbreaks. View priority areas: https://idl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2793eac74ba346af874be1542320e46b
New foresters have been hired, there is a statewide Shared Stewardship Coordinator, new dual-agency staff, and both agencies are dedicating annual funding toward the effort. The first two years have already shown progress, including these projects:
Idaho Panhandle National Forests
- The Buckskin Saddle project proposes to increase forest resilience to insects, disease, drought and the undesirable effects from wildfires. Especially important to local citizens is the reduction of hazardous fuels near private land, routes, and powerlines. This project has identified 19,686 acres of treatment with implementation scheduled in 2021. Fuels reduction treatments have occurred on over 38 acres of private land surrounding a small at-risk community on Lake Pend Oreille surrounded by National Forest land.
- The Scattered Lands project proposes to decrease hazardous fuels to reduce wildfire risk to people, private lands, and resources. This project will integrate fuels and harvest treatments in coordination with partners to maximize results. Approximately 6,960 acres have been identified for treatment with implementation to begin in fall 2021. In addition, federal grants will fund fuels reduction on almost 1,700 acres of private forestlands surrounding hundreds of homes over the next five years on private lands in Bonner County adjacent to the National Forest.
Payette National Forest, Granite Meadows Project Area
- Granite Meadows is in the early development stages and includes vegetation and recreation management and watershed restoration. A key component of the project is to reduce the risk of wildfire and create a diverse and resilient landscape across jurisdictional boundaries. The project will incorporate commercial timber harvest and hazardous fuel reduction treatments that include prescribed fire, pile burning, and thinning across the National Forest.
Boise National Forest, Sage Hen Project Area
- Proposed treatments will improve vegetation conditions and resiliency to uncharacteristic disturbances, restore watersheds, improve and manage recreational opportunities, and support local and regional economies.
- In an unprecedented tree-mortality event caused by a large outbreak of Douglas-fir tussock moth, cross-boundary salvage operations have removed dead and dying trees and large amounts of fuels on hundreds of acres on the Boise National Forest, on nearby private lands, and on the Packer John State Forest.
IDL staff, Forest Service managers, and Idaho Shared Stewardship Advisory Group members visited both the Sage Hen Project Area and the Packer John State Forest in south-central Idaho Thursday, October 29 to see the results of salvage operations. Download broadcast-quality video and photos of the tour at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/162bskp90kwmiwd/AABZzOVoWgJlnUrlwC5zX4J6a?dl=0
“It’s incredible to see how both agencies have handled the devastating Douglas-fir tussock moth outbreak,” said Ara Andrea, Idaho Shared Stewardship Coordinator. “We may have different land-use missions in a larger sense, but both IDL and the Forest Service share the goal of healthy forests, and in these examples have removed trees that were dying and susceptible to catastrophic wildfires.”
“Idaho continues to pioneer new, collaborative efforts to protect our citizens and communities from wildfire,” Governor Brad Little said. “Working with our federal partners, private landowners, and many others, the State of Idaho is embracing this innovative Shared Stewardship approach so we can make a meaningful difference in the health of our lands and water.”
This “No Boundaries Forestry” work also depends on the participation of private and industrial timberland owners. “Stimson Lumber’s mission is unique from state and federal land management, as we sustain an active-management policy for our industrial timberlands,” said Tyler Nimke with Stimson Lumber. “But we are dependent on how well-managed neighboring forestlands are when it comes to how resilient and protected our forestlands are. This is why Shared Stewardship is so valuable.”
Idaho’s Shared Stewardship Initiative efforts emerged as a result of collaboration between the State of Idaho and the USDA Forest Service in 2018. The initiative analyzes how to best focus federal and state resources on critically needed treatments on at-risk forests across ownership boundaries.
CONTACT: Robbie Johnson, Public Information Officer, Idaho Department of Lands
208-334-0236/ 208-908-1786
Public asked to help protect endowment lands this hunting season
(Boise) – More than 96% of endowment land in Idaho is accessible by foot, watercraft or vehicle, with about 2.3 million acres available for hunting or other recreation.
Endowment land is different than public land: These lands are scattered across the state and are managed by the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). The lands generate revenue, typically from timber sales and grazing leases, and help fund public schools, universities and state hospitals. In 2018 an agreement was made with Idaho Fish and Game to provide financial support for public access for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-based recreation on endowment land. Fish and Game’s payments to IDL helps ensure those lands remain open, but responsible use by the public is critical.
Help Preserve Access
- If you park near a gate, make sure there is room for emergency vehicles to pass.
- Help IDL keep the land productive by honoring closures and not making “new” trails.
- Reduce erosion by treading lightly on the land and avoiding muddy roads and trails.
- To reduce impacts to the land, keep Off-Highway Vehicles on established roads and trails.
- Dead animals should be disposed of away from streams and camping areas.
- Please take your trash home with you.
- Removing locks or destroying locked gates may result in further closures.
- If you use a warming fire, please put it out so it is cool to the touch before you leave. Wildfires are expensive and you are responsible for the bill if you start one. This year human-caused fires are responsible for 91% of acres burned on forests protected by IDL Fire Management.
IDL continues to provide access through trail construction and mitigation projects to guide recreation. Some areas may be temporarily closed to enable the effective operation of revenue-generating activities, to protect the public, and seasonal roads and trails. New signs are posted on endowment land to help with navigation and show rules and contact information.
Maps of endowment land can also be found at https://www.idl.idaho.gov/about-us/recreating-on-endowment-lands/.
Idaho’s shared effort toward reducing wildfire risk has new coordinator
Sunday Copeland Fire update near McCall
The Copeland Fire is 10 percent contained, and crews continue to limit fire spread by keeping it in place over the 91-acre fire area. The fire activity in this forested location is moderate with mostly smoldering and isolated flames. However, there is still the chance of fire growth.
There is smoke around McCall, but it is mostly from fires in California. The smoke cover has helped moderate fire activity on the Copeland Fire.
Crews are working on full perimeter control. Current crews on the fire will be maintained to keep the fire from moving into continuous timber and becoming a long-duration event. Resources engaged in suppression actions include aircraft, engines, a dozer, and 220 firefighters. There is a local Type 3 Incident Management Team on the fire.
The fire is on Idaho endowment land approximately 5 miles east of McCall. No structures are threatened, but it is a popular recreation area. The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) continues to urge the public to be aware of and avoid the Copeland Fire area.
Boulder Lake Road is currently closed due to the danger of the fire, firefighter traffic, and aircraft dropping water and retardant. Please do not access these areas from Potter Lane, Paddy Flat Road, or other endowment, public, or private accesses, as this creates a safety issue for both the public and our firefighters.
For more information, visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7024/
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Media Contact
Robbie Johnson, Idaho Department of Lands PIO
(208) 908-1786, pio@idl.idaho.gov
Closures near Copeland Fire for public safety
(McCall) – The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is urging the public to be aware of and avoid the area near the Copeland Fire, burning approximately 5 miles east of McCall on Idaho Endowment Land. It is 90 acres in size.
Boulder Lake Road is currently closed, and all recreationists are urged to avoid this area due to the danger of the fire, firefighter traffic, and aircraft dropping water and retardant. Please do not access these areas from Potter Lane, Paddy Flat Road, or other endowment, public, or private accesses, as this creates a safety issue for both the public and our firefighters.
Resources engaged in active suppression actions include multiple helicopters, three engines, two dozers, and 140 firefighters including two hotshot crews. There is a local Type 3 Incident Management Team on the fire.
Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity made for moderate fire activity overnight and has allowed firefighters to gain ground, but a warming trend is forecasted through the weekend.
For more information, visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7024/
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Media Contact
Robbie Johnson, Idaho Department of Lands PIO
(208) 908-1786, pio@idl.idaho.gov