Fires in beetle-killed timber get scrutiny

An Associated Press article in Thursday’s Idaho Statesman said that new studies presented at a Helena, Montana, seminar are getting close to leading to great understanding of the connection between mountain beetle epidemics and wildfires in the West. A study by a Forest Service ecologist shows for the first time that beetle-killed trees contain 10 times less moisture and a different chemical makeup than healthy trees. According to the story “that means the red needles of beetle-killed trees can ignite three times faster and burn more intensely than healthy trees.”

There it is: a study confirming what we all have observed if we’ve watched a forest fire.

Land assessment rates to cover costs of wildfire protection

H31: Cost of wildfire protection: Introduced in the House, amended in the Senate: signed by the Governor, effective 7-1-09
The Department of Lands is responsible for wild land fire protection on about six million acres of state and private forest lands. Funds trained crews and equipment ready for fire season are partially covered by forest landowner assessments. Current assessments are at the maximums established in code, but not keeping pace with inflationary and other cost increases. The dedicated Forest Protection Fund established for these fees is poised to go negative in FY2010.

This legislation will raise the assessment caps which will allow the State Board of Land
Commissioners to set assessments at rates that cover expected costs. In addition, this legislation
will establish a "Wildfire Equipment Replacement Fund" to be used for the replacement of capital wildfire equipment, such as fire trucks, to help defray the costs of replacing this equipment, over time

Fire Protection - Saturday Summary 1/31/09

This is a weekly roundup of some of ICIE’s activities in and around the Idaho Legislature. Staffing limits mean we can’t cover every meeting. If there’s an item of interest to you at an upcoming meeting of one of the environment or agriculture committees, let us know and we’ll try to cover it. Agendas are available at http://www.state.id.us/. Click on “Legislative” and click on “Calendars and agendas.”

The House Resources & Conservation committee heard a presentation on the 27th from George Bacon, Director of the Idaho Department of Lands. Mr. Bacon asked the committee to print a bill proposed by the department to increase the cap on the cost that private forest land owners pay for fire protection from 60 to 65 cents an acre and from $20 to $40 per improved lot or parcel. This increase would help the department have the equipment and resources to continue initial attach efforts wild fires. The department currently receives $2 million from the general fund for fire preparedness. It also receives $4 million from forest landowner assessments and $4 million in grants. Initial attack reduces the cost of firefighting on Idaho’s forest lands. Last year 250 fires started on state forest land. Three of these fires were not stopped with initial attack and the department spent $5.5 million to fight just those three fires. The increase would allow the department to establish a fund to replace fire equipment as necessary to continue its efforts to protect forest land and residences. The Idaho Land Board makes the final decision on fees, but must stay within the higher cap set by this legislation. *****