Partnership to make watershed safer from wildfire

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) — The State of Idaho and the Forest Service officially consider themselves to be Good Neighbors now after signing a Good Neighbor Agreement earlier this year. The first project area Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and Salmon-Challis staff are teaming up on is the Salmon Municipal Watershed.

The 2015 Idaho Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 126 requesting that Idaho Department of Lands develop Good Neighbor Authority agreements with federal agencies to carry out forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration activities on federal lands within Idaho. Since then, IDL has been instrumental in helping National Forests across the state accelerate their pace and scale of forest restoration.

The Good Neighbor Authority makes it possible for IDL to use state processes and personnel to assist the Forest Service with hazardous fuels reduction and other types of restoration activities on the Forest.  Staff from both agencies are already excited about the efficiencies that can be made possible in tackling the work needed in Salmon’s Municipal Watershed.

“Under this agreement, we can tap into some existing contracting options that Idaho Department of Lands has in place and get area contractors working in the watershed sooner that we would have been able to using our own processes,” sid Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor Chuck Mark said. “We haven’t had this agreement in place for very long, but we are already reaping the benefits of being able to consult with IDL staff on the task of making this community’s watershed more resilient to wildfire.”

“We are excited to expand the Good Neighbor partnership to the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  Utilizing the tools and resources we have available as a state agency has helped leverage positive outcomes on the ground through thinning and harvesting activities as well as many other restoration projects,” IDL Director Dustin Miller said. “Increasing the pace and scale of active forest management and restoration results in healthier forests and reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires.  Healthier forests and landscapes benefit all of Idaho.”

Idaho Department of Lands and the Salmon-Challis National Forest intend to move beyond Salmon Municipal Watershed to other parts of the Forest in need of restoration as the Good Neighbor relationship develops.

For more information about Good Neighbor Authority and Idaho Department of Lands’ approach, click HERE.