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USA Today
01-07-2025
- USA Today
These are the only words we can offer to the Idaho firefighters
There are no words we can say to the community of America's firefighters who risk their lives every day and now, apparently, not only have to confront fire but watch their backs, too. There is something particularly nauseating about a creeper who would set a brush fire then start shooting at the first responders who rush to the scene to put it out. But it seems an even bigger abomination to read about the stunning ambush of firefighters on a mountain in Idaho on Monday, June 30, the anniversary of the day when 19 brave hotshots died on a hill in Arizona. At least nobody was shooting at them as they battled their final blaze. According to Idaho authorities, the gunman started a wildfire on a mountain popular with hikers, just north of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Then he proceeded to shoot at the firefighters who responded. Idaho firefighters were likely targeted Pandemonium broke out as first responders, intent on battling a fire, found themselves under heavy fire. 'Everybody's shot up here,' said one first responder in an urgent radio call for help. 'Send law enforcement now.' When the horror had ended, two firefighters were dead and a third was critically wounded. The suspected sniper, 20-year-old Wess Roley, was later found dead, hiding in the rugged terrain with his high-powered rifle. 'We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush, and it was intentional,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. 'These firefighters did not have a chance.' It's difficult to fathom what could go through the mind of anyone who would set out to ambush firefighters. They're the men and women who dedicate their lives to rescue. They're the ones who ran into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, knowing they likely would never come out. And in Arizona, on a Sunday afternoon 12 years ago, they're the ones who battled a wildfire on Yarnell Hill near Prescott. Firefighters protect our communities, from Nettleton Gulch Fire to Yarnell Everyone in Arizona knows and reveres the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, overrun by fire in a box canyon when the hot, gusty winds suddenly shifted and no escape was possible. Nineteen of the 20 hotshots died that day. The only survivor was posted as a lookout when the fire overtook his teammates. Before it was done, the Yarnell Hill Fire burned more than 13 square miles and destroyed 127 buildings. The Nettleton Gulch Fire, as the Idaho tragedy has been dubbed, grew to 26 acres overnight, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. And there are the determined firefighters of Idaho, working still to put it out even as their teammates lay dead. There's a memorial to the Yarnell Hill Fire in Yarnell, and Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park was dedicated in 2016 as a place to remember the 19 Arizona firefighters who were lost that awful day. But you don't need to travel to a place of tragedy to honor their sacrifice, not in New York City where more than 300 firefighters died after a terrorist attack and not in Yarnell, where 19 of Arizona's finest died fighting a fire started by lightning. And not in Idaho, where two firefighters succumbed to a sort of evil most of us simply cannot understand. There are no words we can say to the community of America's firefighters who risk their lives every day and now, apparently, not only have to confront fire but watch their backs, too. Actually, there are words. Just two. Thank you. Laurie Roberts is a columnist for the Arizona Republic, where this column originally appeared. Reach Roberts at or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Little readies state for more federal logging
Apr. 23—Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order Tuesday directing the Idaho Department of Lands to prepare for an expected uptick in work supporting and implementing federal logging projects. Dubbed the "Make Forests Healthy Again Act," Little's order is designed to align with a recent executive order from President Donald Trump and a memorandum from U.S. Department Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins that both direct the U.S. Forest Service to increase timber production by fast tracking environmental reviews. Little said Idaho leads the nation in use of the Good Neighbor Authority and Shared Stewardship — Congressionally authorized tools that allow state, tribal and local governments to partner with the Forest Service to reduce the risk of large and damaging fires. "The work we have done and are doing is making a difference," Little said in the news conference at Coeur d'Alene recorded by KREM 2 News of Spokane. "Under the previous administration, we were limited to the extent we could help. I believe, sincerely, that is going to change under this administration." Under the Good Neighbor Authority, the Idaho Department of Lands helps to administer federal timber sales and to hire federal contractors that perform necessary reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. Shared Stewardship encourages the Forest Service to partner with states and tribes to prioritize land management activities. Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said Idaho is already selling about one quarter of the federal timber sales in Idaho and he expects the volume of that work to increase as federal agencies take advantage of emergency declarations and streamlined permitting in Trump's executive order. The state has Good Neighbor Authority agreements with six of the seven national forests in Idaho and hopes to reach one with the Sawtooth National Forest. Miller said Idaho is prepared not only to carry out timber and restoration projects but also to help decide where they should be focused. The state's rapid growth has led to more development in rural areas immediately adjacent to federal forests known as the wildlife urban interface. Miller said the state's Forest Action Plan calls for work to be prioritized in those places.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho Gov. Brad Little calls for increase in federal forests management to reduce wildfire risk
The Idaho Department of Lands managed the Tyson Fire, which firefighters responded to in Benewah County in July 2023. (Courtesy of Idaho Department of Lands) Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued an executive order Tuesday directing the Idaho Department of Lands to increase forest management activities on federal national forests in Idaho and reduce the risk of wildfire. '(The Idaho Department of Lands) will work with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) wherever possible to utilize all federal and state authorities to expedite active forest management and mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires,' Little wrote in Executive Order 2005-04, which he called the Make Forests Healthy Again Act. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In a press release announcing the executive order, Little said his action complements the March 1 Freeing our Forests Act signed by President Donald Trump and a memo issued this month by United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins that aim to minimize wildfire risk and increase management of federal forests, Little said. Forest management activities included timber harvests, prescribed burns, mechanical thinning and an aggressive initial attack during the peak of wildfire season, Little said. In Tuesday's press release, Little said that under the previous administration of President Joe Biden, the Idaho Department of Lands was limited to two small areas where it could help the federal government with expanded forest management activities. Little said that has changed and expanded under the new Trump administration. CONTACT US 'For too long, millions of acres of national forests in Idaho have remained totally untouched, creating a tinderbox of fuel that threatens communities, air quality and the environment,' Little said in a written statement Tuesday. 'The State of Idaho has led the country in standing up programs to help our federal partners increase the pace and scale of active management on federal ground. The work we've done is making a difference.' In conjunction with Little's press release, Idaho Farm Bureau CEO Zak Miller issued a statement praising Little and Trump's actions. 'Farm Bureau strongly supports President Trump's and Gov. Little's emphasis on returning active management to federal lands in Idaho,' Miller wrote. 'Our members have been personally devastated by the negative effects of reduced federal management over the years. We fully support Gov. Little's executive order and look forward to cooperatively increasing the level of management of federal lands in Idaho so they will be as productive and healthy as our state lands.' Rollins, the United States secretary of agriculture, also issued a statement released by Little's office Tuesday saying the move will strengthen the timber industry. 'I commend Gov. Little for acting quickly to fix our national forest emergency,' Rollins wrote. 'Americans rely on Idaho's productive and abundant forests, and this executive order will go a long way towards strengthening the timber industry in the state and minimizing harmful pests, disease and risk of fire.' Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued a similar executive order on Monday to encourage wildfire preparedness across the Beehive State, according to the Utah News Dispatch. The order, according to Cox's office, is meant to 'improve coordination among state, local, and federal partners ahead of the 2025 fire season,' the news organization reported. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As wildfires strain Idaho property insurance, bill would call for committee to study the issue
The Idaho Department of Lands managed the Tyson Fire, which firefighters responded to in Benewah County in July 2023. (Courtesy of Idaho Department of Lands) The Idaho Legislature introduced a resolution Thursday to create a legislative committee to study Idaho's property insurance market. The House concurrent resolution, which is expected to be posted on the Legislature's website in the next day or so, says Idaho's destructive 2024 wildfire season has impacted the state's property insurance market. Presenting to the House Health and Welfare Committee, Idaho Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron said 22 of Idaho's 91 property insurance carriers have asked to stop offering property insurance. The committee would let the Legislature hear from Idaho homeowners who are losing property insurance, or seeing their rates rise 'dramatically,' he told the committee. 'These aren't just homeowners that live in rural Idaho. … But they're residents all over the state. Insurance rates are going up by nearly 30% on average this year for property insurance,' said Cameron, a longtime former state lawmaker. The committee introduced the resolution Thursday. Introducing the resolution tees it up for a full committee hearing with public testimony — before it would be considered by the full House and Senate. But the resolution will likely be considered by the House Business Committee. Another bill called the 'Idaho Wildfire Risk Mitigation and Stabilization Pool Act,' or House Bill 17, was introduced in January but has not advanced out of the House Business Committee. That bill would assist homeowners against wildfire, keep insurance rates down and attract insurance companies to Idaho, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. Cameron said another piece of draft legislation is planned for an introductory hearing Friday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idahoan to lead U.S. Forest Service
Feb. 28—A former director of the Idaho Department of Lands and executive with the Idaho Forest Group will be the next chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Tom Schultz was selected by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to run the agency and succeed Randy Moore, who will retire Monday. "Tom is the right person to lead the Forest Service right now, and I know he will fight every day to restore America's national forests," Rollins said in a news release Thursday. "Together, Tom and the incredible employees at the Forest Service will work to execute the agenda of President Donald J. Trump to make America's forests healthy and productive again." Before Thursday's announcement, Schultz was to serve another role in the Trump administration. In January, he and another Idahoan were selected for high posts within the Department of Agriculture. Michael Boren, of Boise, was nominated to be the undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment and Schultz was initially hired to be Boren's chief of staff. He will now lead the Forest Service and its more than 30,000 employees. "Working with our partners, we will actively manage national forests and grasslands, increase opportunities for outdoor recreation, and suppress wildfires with all available resources emphasizing safety and the importance of protecting resource values," he said in a news release. In choosing Schultz, Rollins is departing from a tradition of selecting chiefs from the upper echelon of the Forest Service. Schultz has a long history in forest management but none as an employee of the agency. Prior to starting his work as chief of staff, he was vice president of resources and government affairs at the Idaho Forest Group. He previously was the director of the Idaho Department of Lands and worked for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. While unusual, the move by Rollins to select a chief from outside the normal pool of candidates is not unprecedented. President Bill Clinton named Jack Ward Thomas as chief. At the time, Thomas was a well-known biologist at the agency but did not have experience as a top executive. Next, Clinton looked outside of the agency and selected Mike Domebeck, who had worked as a Forest Service fisheries biologist for a dozen years before becoming a science adviser to the Bureau of Land Management. Idaho political leaders praised the hiring of Schultz and view his lack of history at the agency as an asset. The Forest Service oversees 193 million acres of forests and grasslands across the country, including about 20 million acres in Idaho. Its mandate requires it to manage for multiple uses, including timber, grazing, recreation and conservation. That differs significantly from the direction of private timber companies and even state agencies that manage with an eye to profits over other considerations. The broader approach taken by the Forest Service and the much more complicated set of laws and regulations it must follow, including robust public involvement, means it is often less nimble than other timber managers, including the state. That can cause conflict between the agency and state political leaders who often press it to respond with greater force to wildfires and to approve more logging projects that provide a steady stream of timber for local mills. Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM "Tom Schultz's deep, on-the-ground experience and skills, including his long-time service in Idaho, will be critically useful as he manages our federal forests," said Sen. Mike Crapo in a news release. "He intimately understands how federal decision-making impacts our great state, and I look forward to working with him in this capacity." Idaho Gov. Brad Little reissued a news release Thursday that offered praise for Schultz and Boren. "The appointment of Tom Schultz, an Idahoan, to such an important position for Idaho and the West signals the Trump administration's continued support for how we do things here in Idaho," he said in a news release. The Idaho Conservation also welcomed Schultz. While he is Forest Service outsider, John Robison, public lands and wildlife director for the environmental group, said Schultz is well known throughout the state via his participation in collaborative processes that involve the Forest Service and other stakeholders. "Chief Schultz understands firsthand how essential public lands and clean water are to our quality of life, identity, and rural economies," he said. During an interview earlier this month, Schultz, then poised to serve as chief of staff for the under secretary of agriculture, told the Tribune that ensuring the agency is prepared for the upcoming wildfire season will be a top priority. He also said the agency would strive to listen and understand the needs of various stakeholders as it carries out its multiple-use mandate. "A big focus is to make sure we are aligned with our public," he said. "We are there to serve the American public." Moore announced his pending retirement Wednesday and said in a message to employees that the staffing turmoil within the agency played a role in his decision to step away. The agency fired about 2,000 probationary employees in recent weeks. President Trump and his special adviser Elon Musk have said more layoffs across the federal government are expected. Robison noted that will make it tougher on Schultz. "He faces a significant challenge in keeping our national forests accessible and functioning for people, fish, and wildlife. Fortunately, Chief Schultz has a strong track record of collaborative success. He understands how recreationists, foresters, sportsmen, conservationists, and local communities can work together to improve forest health, watersheds, and rural economies." Barker may be contacted at ebarker@
