North Idaho forests get $4.8M investment in wildfire mitigation

COEUR D’ALENE — A new wildfire mitigation project will seek to improve overall forest health here, Idaho Panhandle National Forests announced.

Called the Highway 95 Hazardous Fuels Project, it will bring $2,194,800 to state and private lands and $2,778,500 to federal lands in North Idaho. One of 10 projects selected nationwide through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership, the project will address 829,453 acres of high-risk forestlands in Kootenai, Bonner, and Boundary counties over the next three years, aiming to mitigate hazardous fuels with active treatment of more than 7,700 acres.   

“This project approaches wildfire threat from the landscape perspective, regardless of who owns or manages the land,” says Jeff Lau, North Idaho shared stewardship coordinator for the Forest Service and Idaho Department of Lands. “By partnering across agencies and with private landowners, we are working towards a level of regional wildfire resilience that no single entity could achieve on its own.”  

The project addresses an increase in landowners requesting assistance with hazardous fuels mitigation while also continuing educational opportunities including community public meetings, informational mailings, and forestry education field days. 

“We’re excited to be able to continue the work and partnerships we’ve built with previous projects including Scattered Lands,” says IDL State Forester Craig Foss. “We want to again thank landowners who are taking part in assistance programs for forest health treatments on their lands so we can truly make these projects continuous across property lines and jurisdictions.”  

    A landscape after hazardous fuels treatment under the Scattered Lands project Monday near Blanchard, Idaho. Funding through the Joint Chiefs' Partnership will expand joint state, federal, county, and private hazardous fuel treatments to the Highway 95 corridor. (USFS Photo/Neil Shurtz)