Inmates in Idaho work to restore sagebrush habitat following Plex Fire

By Kate Jacobson

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — The Sagebrush in Prisons Project is helping restore sagebrush habitat near Boise, following the Plex Fire, which burned close to 500 acres near Micron. The project is a collaboration among the Idaho Department of Correction, Idaho Fish & Game, Bureau of Land Management, and Institute for Applied Ecology.

The planting will take place at the Plex burn scar in southeast Boise. It will be directed by wildlife biologist Michael Young and supervised by Alyson Singer, Regional Project Manager for Sagebrush in Prisons Project.

The goal of the project is to engage incarcerated men and women in habitat restoration and ecological science, according to a press release.

Residents at South Boise Women’s Correctional Center have grown over 150,000 sagebrush seedlings for habitat improvement projects on public lands since 2015.

On Wednesday, Oct. 9, in conjunction with Idaho Fish & Game and the Institute for Applied Ecology, the 5 crew members from SBWCC, along with 5 resident volunteers will have the opportunity to plant several hundred seedlings onto the landscape. This is an opportunity for the crew to get outside of the prison setting and see, firsthand, where their plants are going.

Due to COVID and other conflicts, the project has not been able to coordinate a “plant out” locally since 2018.

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