Microlearning Self-Serve

To the average forest landowner the vast array of cost-share programs must seem like a jumbled soup of alphabet acronyms. There’s, CRP, EQIP, CSP, HFRP among others. They are administered by agencies called FSA, IDL, NRCS and IDF&G. While the programs can providing worthwhile incentives to landowners wanting to enhance the management of their property, many factors make it difficult for landowners to understand their options.

By Garth Davis  IDL Northern Idaho Community Forestry Assistant  Sandpoint, like many of our cities in Idaho, is experiencing rapid development and revitalization. The pruning needs of community trees are often left behind with rapid development. Choosing quality trees to be planted on public property and picking a site where they can thrive into maturity are great ways to make your urban forest more resilient. A structural pruning cycle for young trees will enable your trees to better withstand extreme weather events such as wind and heavy snow, giving large growing trees a better chance to become ecosystem service providers. 

By Gerry Bates  IDL Southern Idaho Community Forestry Assistant  A tree’s water and nutrient absorbing roots extend well beyond the canopy. Image Source: North Carolina State University Construction or landscaping activities that cut the roots of mature trees or compact the soil around trees will often lead to death of all or part of the tree.  This damage may not be visible for as long as two years after the damage was done and the injurious activity is forgotten.  By far, the most common and serious root injuries we inflict on mature trees are from changing the soil’s aeration. Adding

Michael S. Beaudoin  Community Forestry Program Manager  Proper tree selection and placement is commonly referred to as “Right Tree, Right Place.” This commonly refers to proactively avoiding tree conflicts with utility lines. Researching your climate, soil conditions, and tree species profiles for your planting project will also ensure you pick the right tree for the right place. Trees are divided by their mature size into three different classes. Different tree species have very different mature heights and it is important to keep this mind when planting near utility lines or homes. These tree classes include: Class I: Trees that are

Michael S. Beaudoin  Community Forestry Program Manager  Equity is a current hot-button topic in urban and community forestry. Our urban and community forests provide many important social and ecological benefits to our residents. Higher tree canopy coverage in residential areas often correlate with higher property values, better physical and mental health, and a reduction in energy usage. Recent research into urban canopy coverage in American major cities indicates that our low-income residents, renters, and minority groups often live in areas with very low canopy coverage and don’t receive the associated benefits of higher canopy coverage. Some recent research on this topic

By Gerry Bates  IDL Southern Idaho Community Forestry Assistant  A mature tree’s roots extend well beyond the canopy dripline. Image Credit: University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Hidden away beneath the soil, roots quietly, almost mysteriously, go about doing their job. The tree root system may be described as unseen and unappreciated. The relationship between tree root systems and the characteristics of the soils in which they grow has a greater influence on tree health than any other single factor.  When a tree seed germinates, the first or primary root grows down in the soil in response to gravity. Secondary roots

By Erika Eidson IDL Forest Health Specialist Douglas-fir Beetle- D. pseudotsugae adults in Ponderosa State Park (Photo Credit: IDL Forest Health) What are bark beetles? Bark beetles are a group of insects that spend almost their entire life beneath the bark of trees. They tunnel in the moist inner bark, lay eggs and these develop into larvae or grubs. The tunneling kills trees by girdling them (cuts off the supply of nutrients). Adults emerge later to infest other trees in late spring or early summer. For more information, please see the IDL bark beetle fact sheet. Certain bark beetles can