Idaho - A Place for Working Lands
Family farms, ranches and private forests are an important part of Idaho’s history and rural lifestyle. Early homesteaders of the region provided food and fiber for the state’s first settlements. Today, private landowners continue their contribution to the state’s economy, the rural character of communities, and the stewardship of streams and wildlife habitat.
The amenities of the Gem State attract new residents every year. Idaho’s population growth ranks as the 4th highest in the nation (Census 2000). Housing the new neighbors competes with the existing rural land uses. In 2005, a group formed to study the conversion of working lands. Ranchers, farmers, forest owners, conservationists and sportsmen formed a partnership - The Idaho Working Lands Coalition. The partners work to reserve a place in Idaho’s future landscape for farms, ranches, and private forests while accommodating additional growth.
Homes on the Edge – A Burning Question
Wildland fire suppression costs consume $3 billion dollars from the federal budget. A primary factor that contributes to the increased costs is the protection of private property in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Headwaters Economics, a non-profit organization, reviewed the factors contributing to higher costs, and concluded that existing policy does not address the expansion of residential development in the WUI. Instead, public policy concentrates on the current condition – i.e., what should be done about the existing private structures in fire prone areas?