BLM News       

      www.blm.gov/id   

    

DATE: March 18, 2016

CONTACT: Heather Tiel-Nelson, (208) 736-2352

BLM Seeks Nominations to Twin Falls District Resource Advisory Council

The Bureau of Land Management today announced that it is seeking public nominations for open positions on the Twin Falls District RAC which advise the BLM on public land issues.  As published in a notice in the Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 45 days. The nomination period will close May 2, 2016.  

The BLM’s RACs, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the Bureau carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands.  The Bureau, which manages more land than any other Federal agency, has 29 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located.  Each RAC consists of 10 to 15 members with an interest or expertise in public land management, including such individuals as conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics.  The diverse membership of each RAC helps ensure that BLM land managers get the varying perspectives they need to achieve their mission, which is to manage the public lands for multiple uses.

“The BLM Resource Advisory Councils are an important forum for the community conversation that is a key component of public land management,” said BLM Director Neil Kornze.  “With representatives with different land use perspectives, the RACs give community members an opportunity to dig into local issues and explore possible solutions.”

Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on an advisory council.  Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area.  Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision making.  All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations, a completed RAC application, and any other information that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications.

The Twin Falls District BLM is seeking six nominees to serve on the Twin Falls District RAC. For this committee, there is one opening in Category One, three openings in Category Two and two openings in Category Three. The category descriptions are listed below: Category One - Public land ranchers and representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, the timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation.

Category Two - Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historical organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations.

Category Three - Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.

Nominations must be received by May 2, 2016 and sent to Heather Tiel-Nelson, RAC Coordinator at:

Twin Falls District BLM

2878 Addison Ave. E.

Twin Falls, ID  83301

Attention: Heather Tiel-Nelson, RAC Coordinator, hnelson@blm.gov , (208) 736-2352

To learn more about BLM Idaho RACs and to access the nomination form, visit the BLM Idaho website at: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/get_involved/resource_advisory.html. For more information on specific vacancies in your area, please contact your local BLM RAC coordinator.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2014, the BLM generated $5.2 billion in receipts from public lands. 

Idaho BLM showcases their FireWorks! educational curriculum at the 16th Annual Idaho Environmental Education Conference

BLM FireWorks! booth

What smells like sage brush, lives in a trunk, and helps kids understand  the 7 million acres of southern Idaho BLM landscapes?  The answer to this question was unveiled by a group of Idaho BLM Fire Mitigation/ Education specialists at the 16^th annual Idaho Environmental Education Conference (IdEEA).  It’s called FireWorks! and it is a portable, hands-on resource teachers use to teach the sagebrush steppe ecosystem.

IdEEA was held at Sage International School in Boise, Idaho, during the first weekend of March.  This conference brought formal educators and non-profit organizations from across Idaho together to collaborate on the theme: Connecting Communities to Classrooms!  BLM employees staffed a booth throughout the conference where attendees could learn more about BLM and both educational curriculum's.

Carrie Bilbao, Boise District
 & Kari Boyd-Peak, NIFC

In addition to some popular classroom activities, the BLM presentation introduced the FireWorks! Encyclopedia.   This encyclopedia lists more than 40 species found in the sage-steppe ecosystem including sage grouse, arrowleaf balsam root, golden eagle, biotic crust, juniper, sagebrush, harvester ants, and blue bunch wheatgrass.  The encyclopedia is the foundation of the curriculum and is vital to the students’ understanding of the ecosystem.

The BLM’s FireWorks! educational curriculum is an adaptation of a widely-used educational tool first created at the Rocky Mountain Research Center (Missoula, MT) in 2000 by Jane Kapler-Smith and Nancy E. McMurray.  The original curriculum featured forest ecosystems and has been utilized across the United States by both educators and local and federal agencies.  The sagebrush steppe curriculum is just one of a several adaptations of the original concept that makes science and specific disciplines personal to the region students live in.

Jesse Bender, Idaho Falls District

This curriculum can be used for elementary, middle school and high school levels.  Its objectives include increasing student understanding of natural resource sciences, enhancing scientific literacy, and developing critical thinking skills about science-related social issues.

In addition to FireWorks!, the team highlighted the  4^th grade wildland fire curriculum currently being integrated into the Boise School District. This program uses many of the same activities from FireWorks!

Additional information concerning the FireWorks! educational curriculum and upcoming training sessions can be found at this website: http://www.firelab.org/project/fireworks-educational-program

The following BLM specialists have been engaged in the development of FireWorks!

Jennifer Myslivy, Idaho State Office

Carrie Bilbao, Boise District

Jesse Bender, Idaho Falls District

Kelsey Brizendine, Twin Falls District

Kari Boyd-Peak, NIFC

Boise Bureau of Land Management Prescribed Fire 2016

BOISE, ID - The Boise District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fire and Fuels program is planning several prescribed burns later this winter and spring of 2016. There are three projected burns at this time. The objectives of these projects are watershed research and reducing both hazardous fuel loading and the encroachment of juniper in the sage-steppe ecosystem.

Fence-line Prescribed Burn - The Fence-line Prescribed Burn is located in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area south of Boise. This project could begin as early as February and last until May depending on fuel conditions, tumbleweed accumulations and weather. The burning is targeted at hazardous accumulations of tumbleweeds along fence lines and roadways that create hazards to the public. Approximately 200 acres of hazardous fuels will be targeted but more may be treated depending on the accumulation of hazardous fuels throughout the spring. Fire managers will wait for seasonal conditions such as green grass or snow adjacent to the tumbleweed accumulations before they begin with the project. These natural barriers allow firefighters to burn only the hazardous fuels along roadways and fence lines with little chance of fire spreading outside of those areas. The public can expect to see smoke in the air from some distance, as well as fire apparatus on roadways and possible short-term travel delays on secondary roads due to smoke. To provide for the safety of both the public and firefighters, the BLM coordinates flagging on roadways during burning with Elmore County, Ada County and the Idaho Department of Transportation.

South Mountain Prescribed Burn, Black-lining - The South Mountain prescribed burn is located 21 miles southeast of Jordan Valley, Oregon, in Owyhee County and is 196 acres in size. This project will be conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service and private landowners to study hydrological impacts of juniper encroachment. Each watershed will be pretreated one year prior to burning by cutting and/or slashing the western juniper in the unit with chainsaws. The watershed will then be burned in the fall or the next year after pretreatment to allow the cut fuels to cure out. To allow for the safety of firefighters and to reduce the risk of escape, the unit’s perimeters will be “black-lined” the spring before the unit is scheduled to be burned. This practice occurs in the spring when fuel moistures in surrounding fuels are high and grass has begun to grow, allowing firefighters to utilize these natural barriers to contain the fire. A 50-foot to 100-foot-wide strip is ignited around the perimeter to burn heavy concentrations of felled juniper that exist adjacent to the control lines. The strip will provide a safety buffer for firefighters who return in the fall to burn the entire unit. The public may see smoke on the south flanks of South Mountain March through May, depending on weather and fuel conditions. Ignitions are expected to take one day to complete with mop-up and patrol of the fire for several days after.

Pole Creek Jackpot Prescribed Burn - The Pole Creek Jackpot Prescribed Burn is located 35 miles southeast of Jordan Valley, Oregon, in Owyhee County on Juniper Mountain. The fire is 1,400 acres in size and will involve “jackpot” prescribed burning aimed at reducing concentrations of heavy fuels from past juniper-cutting treatments. This treatment will allow only the concentration of fuels created by cutting juniper to be burned and not the surrounding vegetation. Fire managers will look for weather and fuel conditions that will slow the spread of fire outside of cut juniper areas, including snow on the ground, high fuel moisture or new grass growth acting as a natural barrier. Burn patches will normally be confined to the individual tree debris zone and will be less than two acres, though some larger patches may also occur. The burn is expected to take place between February and March, with ignitions of the unit taking two to five days and subsequent mop-up and patrol of the fire for several days. The public can expect to see smoke on the western flanks of Juniper Mountain during ignitions and for several days afterwards.

For more information about these prescribed burn projects contact Josh Renz at 208-384-3300.

Warmer Weather and Wetting Rain Provide for Watch-Out Situations

 A few warm and sunny days and a robust fishing season have brought many visitors to the lower elevations front-country on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.  Recreationists may encounter a number of breathtaking views, crystal clear waters, world class fishing, and abundant wildlife.  They may also encounter a variety of hazards caused by this past season’s wildfires and recent wetting rains.

It’s unusual to ask visitors to consider the hazards of wildland fire in March, but many post-fire hazards exist. The safety of our visitors and employees is very important to the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. 

These photos, taken recently in the Tepee Springs fire perimeter, are reminders that visitors should use caution while visiting areas that have experienced fire activity. 

Rolling rocks and debris are common in fire areas where foliage is no longer present to hinder their descent.  When you enter a burned area, treat it as if you have never been there.  Conditions change minute to minute in recently burned areas, especially in the springtime.  Consider alternative routes and their current availability.  If the location you are recreating in doesn’t have a second route be prepared with the appropriate gear.  Have a solid check in plan as well.  No one will come to your aid if they don’t know you’re in trouble.

Other hazards may include: 

·     Thunderstorms, long duration storms, and rain-on-snow events can produce debris flows which may occur throughout the burned areas and downstream of these areas.  These debris

·      flows are dangerous for anyone caught in their path.

·      Snags and woody debris can clog culverts and bridges which may wash out those structures.

·       Floating and submerged logs may pose extreme hazards to boaters, rafters, and waders.

·       Trees may fall at any time, but are especially susceptible to failure during high wind and/or heavy rain or snow.

In addition to the very public highway 14 slide, an additional slide on Forest Service road 443, Falls Point road,  was discovered March 1.  The slide has closed the road to all traffic.  Prior to the slide, the road was open to vehicles less than 50 inches.

Falls Point road falls within the 2015 Wash Fire perimeter.  Although the burned landscape contributed to the slide, spring rains and run-off were also contributing factors.