(Morgan McCollum/Idaho Reports)
By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior announced plans to allocate $161 million for ecosystem restoration in public lands, and $26.95 million of that will go to Idaho projects.
The funding is part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, focusing on 21 “Restoration Landscapes” across 11 western states.
Of Idaho’s funding, $7.85 million will be dedicated to the East Idaho Rivers and Plains project. The Bureau of Land Management describes the project as restoring native plant communities on public land, protecting threatened habitats, and seeking opportunities to collaborate with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe to restore additional riparian areas on public lands and the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.
Another $9.1 million will be dedicated to the Upper Salmon River Project. The BLM described the project as funding to use to “replace culverts to improve stream connectivity, restore riparian habitat, treat invasive annual grasses, reduce fuels, increase diversity of grasses and forbs, and enhance the health and resiliency of whitebark pine stands.” The project is intended to improve water quality for residents, fish and other wildlife.
The final $10 million is set to go to the Snake River Plain in Southwest Idaho. The BLM project states “Restoring native grasses, perennial forbs, sagebrush and other shrubs is critical to the health of the region. The BLM will also work to expand fuel breaks, aiming to protect these investments in restoration.”
Funding for the projects will come from the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“With today’s investment, we will be able to pass these lands to future generations in better shape than we find them today,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in a news release Wednesday. “We’re thrilled to be able to put people to work to benefit wildlife habitat, clean water and the overall health and productivity of our public lands.”
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
