SW Iowa Times

In 2024, Idaho experienced wildfires that burned around 640,000 acres, causing an estimated $131 million loss in timber sales. This situation may reduce Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) by $1.5 to $2 million, affecting local governments reliant on these funds.

During a recent roundtable discussion, Congressman Fulcher emphasized the importance of addressing wildfire impacts and finding long-term solutions at the federal level. He stated, "These conversations are essential to reduce the devastating impacts of wildfires across the state and help me champion long-term solutions on the federal level in Washington, D.C."

Fulcher highlighted fiscal challenges facing stakeholders: "I need to tell you the truth," he said. "The calvary is not coming. We are $36 trillion in debt. The budget is going to get cut and I want the stakeholders to know what they are dealing with. They have a big task and their resources are going to go down. Meanwhile, the PILT constraints are going to get harder, and for our county friends who don’t have a revenue stream outside of this funding, that is concerning."

Adams County Commissioner Viki Purdy expressed frustration with current policies: "We don’t want to be a welfare county," she noted. "The Forest Service won’t let the Rural Fire Protection Agency (RFPA) fight fires on their own land. We want to work with the Forest Service, but we are steamrolled at every chance they get."

Mark Mahon from the Idaho Association of Logging Contractors pointed out underutilization of loggers: "There are no loggers in the woods fighting these fires," he said. "We are the best-trained people, the best-trained machine to fight these fires, and the Forest Service doesn’t use us."

The discussion also addressed deferred maintenance issues on public lands, with reports indicating $741 million overdue for Idaho’s federal lands according to USFS and a $358 million backlog from BLM.

Brant Peterson from Boise National Forest Service commented on fire-related costs: "These fires burned livestock, burned homes, put young men and women in harm's way, and it costs an incredible amount of money," he said. He advocated for proactive measures: "If we are going to be successful, we need to remove the trees before these fires start."

Dar Moon from Idaho on Fire criticized legislative constraints: "The Forest Service has been tied up with sue and settle," he explained. "50-year-old legislation has put them in a spot where they cannot manage the scope and size of our forest and it is destroying Idaho because our hands are locked."

Congressman Fulcher concluded by stressing collaboration: “These maintenance shortfalls not only hinder fire prevention efforts but exacerbate wildfire risks,” he stated. “We need to solve this problem, and we need to solve it together.”