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Valley District works to improve water quality in North Fork Payette watershed, Lake Cascade
The Valley Soil and Water Conservation District has a big job, working to improve water quality in the North Fork Payette River watershed and in Lake Cascade. It’s the state’s fourth largest lake or reservoir, which covers 47 square miles between Cascade and Donnelly. Two massive algae blooms in 2022, one in June and another […]
Carbon sequestration in Idaho’s rangelands: An introduction to good stewardship of our landscape
BLACKFOOT — Blackfoot rancher Mark Pratt digs a hole in a mountain meadow to check on the soil and look at the roots of plants. It’s been a wet spring, so the meadow is quite green and brimming with life. Pratt and his wife Wendy have been testing the soil in regular intervals to check […]
Idaho River Sports – center of the universe for river boaters – celebrates end of an era
Timing can be everything in business. Start a new business at the beginning of a new market trend, and you could be riding a wave of success. Wait too long, and you’ve missed the show. In a lot of ways, Jo Cassin and Stan Kolby had great timing when they launched a new outdoor store […]
Idaho’s rancher-led Rangeland Fire Protection Associations work to stop wildfires early
When black storm clouds gather on a hot summer night, Mountain Home rancher Charlie Lyons drives up to a high-point where he can watch for lightning strikes in the desert. “When there’s lightning, we’re all out, and I go right up there to the towers is one of my spots, to sit and watch,” Lyons […]
Plan your outdoor trip in advance to avoid conflicts on Idaho’s public lands
This column was first published at idrange.org By all accounts, the number of people playing outdoors in Idaho has been growing rapidly in recent years as record numbers of people move here or vacation here. Visits to Idaho’s public lands are increasing, and that’s led to an increase in litter, trigger trash, trespassing, resource damage […]
Recreation tips: How to keep our popular South Fork Boise River corridor clean and beautiful
The South Fork of the Boise River is a scenic and popular place to go fishing, camping and whitewater rafting. It’s got a blue-ribbon rainbow trout fishery, lots of camp sites, and a challenging whitewater canyon. With a steady stream of new people moving into the greater Boise area, public use is increasing in the […]
Multiple use requires us all to share, care to preserve Idaho’s national forest lands
Many parts of the Boise National Forest are managed for multiple use. Near Cow Creek summit, west of Mountain Home, Angus cattle graze on mountain slopes. These are known as “rangelands,” which provide nutritious forage for livestock and wildlife. These are working lands for local ranchers like Charlie Lyons and Jeff Lord. The grazing pastures […]
Livestock guardian dogs have a job to do — please leave them in the field
Everyone loves dogs. But some dogs aren’t pets. Idaho sheep ranchers use special dog breeds to protect their flocks from predators. These are livestock guardian dogs that have been bred to fend off coyotes, wolves, bears and mountain lions from killing sheep. The dogs are a non-lethal method of protecting sheep — it’s a long-standing […]