Governor Brad Little and Idaho’s top elected officials sent a letter to USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking that Idaho’s high risk fire shed landscapes be made a priority under the 10 Year Strategy of Combating the Wildfire Crisis.
The US Department of Agriculture announced the new strategy earlier this month. Through infrastructure funding, nearly $3 billion has been authorized to reduce hazardous fuels and begin to restore America’s forests and grasslands, along with investments in fire-adapted communities and post fire reforestation.
In the letter, the Idaho Land Board pointed out the successful collaborative initiatives already in place with the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. It noted that other Western states look to Idaho for leadership, emulating the state’s successful Shared Stewardship and Good Neighbor Authority programs as a model for improving cross-boundary forest health.
Shovel-ready fuels reduction projects and a robust industry infrastructure in Idaho were also noted as important elements for considering the state’s request to include its projects in the first phase of funding.
The 10 Year Strategy of Combating the Wildfire Crisis offers two phases. The first phase has projects chosen by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, USDA and Forest Service leadership. Phase 2 projects will come in part from priority projects that have been identified through processes like Shared Stewardship agreements.
The Land Board made the commitment to work with Secretary Vilsack to set up fuels and forest health treatments to match the formidable scale of Idaho’s wildfire risks.
