Idaho Power reportedly agrees to $800,000 Valley Fire settlement
The Valley Fire burns in the Boise foothills on Oct. 4 in this file photo taken from Southeast Boise. (Courtesy of Robbie Johnson/Idaho Department of Lands)
Subject to finalizing legal terms, Idaho Power has reportedly agreed to pay a $800,000 settlement to help the state restore winter wildlife habitat burned during October's Valley Fire in the foothills east of Boise.
Reports of the settlement were included in budget documents provided to the Idaho Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, on Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.
JFAC is a powerful legislative committee that sets every budget for every state department and agency.
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JFAC approved on Thursday a one-time $800,000 appropriation to the Idaho Department of Fish and Games wildlife program to allow the department to accept the settlement money and spend it on restoring burned areas within the Boise River Wildlife Management Area.
The Valley Fire started Oct. 4 and burned 9,904 acres, including part of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area.
A power line touching the ground was found responsible for starting the fire, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game does not have resources dedicated to fire rehabilitation loss, state budget documents show. Nevertheless, state wildlife officials and biologists view the Boise River Management Area as an important habitat for deer and elk that migrate away from their summer habitat in the Sawtooth Mountains to move to their winter home in the foothills above the Boise River.
The wildlife management area is home to more than 300 species of animals and is an important winter range that is protected from the nearby development taking place in the foothills, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
'The Department of Fish and Game recognized the burned area as an important winter range for deer, elk and other wildlife,' state budget documents provided to JFAC members stated. 'Following the fire, the department reseeded the burned range and applied pre-emergent herbicide to prevent the establishment of annual invasive grasses and weeds, such as rush skeleton weed, that often germinate and establish themselves following the fire.'
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game would like to use the settlement money to complete rehabilitation and restoration work, including herbicide treatments, aerial and drill seeding, seedling planting and hazardous tree removal, state budget documents show.
Idaho Power officials confirmed to the Sun on Thursday they have reached a voluntary settlement agreement in principle with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
'Idaho Power reached an agreement in principle with IDFG to resolve restoration claims related to the Valley Fire, subject to finalizing legal terms,' Idaho Power officials wrote Thursday. 'This voluntary resolution reflects Idaho Power's strong commitment to its partnership with the state. Idaho Power values its relationship with state agencies and will continue to cooperate with them on a number of important initiatives.'
Budget documents provided to JFAC offer some insight into the reported settlement.
'The Department of Fish and Game has been in discussions with Idaho Power Company regarding a settlement for the latter to fund the department's efforts to restore the area for public use,' those documents state.
'Subject to finalizing legal terms, Idaho Fish and Game and Idaho Power have reached a settlement of $800,000 for habitat restoration on the Boise River WMA related to the Valley Fire,' the documents state. 'The settlement will include standard legal terms, including payment without any admission of liability.'
'This is a settlement of disputed claims,' the documents continue. 'The settlement avoids costs and delays that would come with litigation. The settlement recognizes the benefit of putting resources on the ground faster for restoring vegetation and controlling invasive weeds.'
JFAC members voted unanimously to approve the one-time $800,000 appropriation for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's fiscal year 2026 budget in order to spend the settlement money.
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