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Strong demand for Power district’s no-till drill reflects growing interest in soil health statewide
This piece first appeared in the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission’s monthly newsletter, Conservation the Idaho Way. The soil health movement appears to be gaining significant momentum among Idaho farmers and conservation districts statewide. Over 10 years after the Natural Resources Conservation Service launched its Soil Health Initiative in 2012, a growing number of […]
Idaho Envirothon seeks more student participants in fun, science-based educational event
The Idaho Envirothon is a unique, hands-on educational competition held once a year at the Living Waters Ranch in Challis. It’s such a great event that students and organizers are hoping more Idaho teams get involved. “We want as many teams from across Idaho to come enjoy the setting and participate in this program, and […]
BOSH Project restores sagebrush sea at a grand scale in southwest Idaho
This story was first published by Life on the Range. In the spring of 2023, Bureau of Land Management fire crews burned juniper trees – cut in 2021 – to restore the sage-steppe landscape in the huge expanse of Owyhee County in southwest Idaho. The spring burning projects are a key part of the Bruneau […]
New tech, old problem: How drones accelerate control of noxious weeds in eastern Idaho
The South Fork of the Snake River, near Idaho Falls, is a treasured, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishing stream and a popular recreation area. Multiple agencies work together to combat noxious weeds in the South Fork Canyon via the Upper Snake River Cooperative Weed Management Area. Last year, a 5-acre steep hillside needed treatment for […]
Grant funding saves water, enhances riparian habitat and improves water quality in Idaho
Farmers and ranchers across Idaho are modernizing irrigation infrastructure, improving water quality by installing cattle best management practices, and enhancing streambank stability and habitat via the second consecutive year of $5 million in funding for Water Quality Program for Agriculture grant projects in Idaho. A total of 50 Water Quality Program for Agriculture grant projects […]
Boise hiker has climbed over 160 mountain peaks in Idaho so far — with more to come!
Anna Gorin has Idaho Mountain Fever. A Boise photographer in her young 30s, she pursues big hikes in the Idaho mountains, bagging peaks at a blistering pace. She might climb three mountain peaks in a week, or even a day. She’s scaled 53 mountain peaks so far in 2023, and in 2020, she notched more […]
Greater sage grouse 101: What do we know about this mysterious native Idaho bird?
Greater sage grouse are a popular topic in Idaho and the West these days. Idaho is one of 11 Western states where sage grouse reside. Three types of sage grouse live in the West: Greater Sage Grouse, the kind that live in Idaho and the Great Basin Bi-State Sage Grouse, a subgroup of Greater Sage […]
Idaho elk hunting is on the rebound, and tags are selling out quickly for 2023 season
If you’re a procrastinator and a hunter, and you’re planning on buying an elk or deer tag on the opening day of big game season, you might think twice about waiting that long to buy a tag. Sales of big game hunting tags, especially elk tags in “capped” elk zones, where the Idaho Department of […]
Idaho sheep operations in danger of extinction from low prices, foreign imports and monopolies
Imagine going to see the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in main street Ketchum, and there’s no sheep. It’s frequently been voted as one of the Top 10 fall festivals in the United States with about 25,000 attendees. Sheep ranchers John and Diane Peavey started the festival from scratch in the mid-1990s so new residents […]
Drop-camp trips with Idaho horseback outfitters gain popularity with baby boomers
In the 1970s, backpacking was all the rage in the West. As a student at the University of Montana in Missoula, I was among thousands of Americans who absolutely loved the freedom of exploring our national forests and parks to see new country, visit a high mountain lake, go fishing for trout, maybe climb a […]
Chasing dreams: Idaho rancher loves her life as a professional stock dog trainer
Robin and Rocky Brown live in their own slice of paradise in Indian Valley, Idaho, where they raise and train border collies for ranchers across the nation. The Broken Circle Ranch is surrounded by majestic mountains. The Little Weiser River flows by their home pasture in a sinewy grove of cottonwood trees. With over 35 […]
Treasure Valley Urban Wood Network encourages recycling of unwanted trees for Idaho artisans
On a ThinkWood! walking tour with members of the Society of Environmental Journalists in downtown Boise recently, our group stopped at the Warehouse Food Hall and Mother Earth Brewing to learn about the benefits of using local Idaho wood for building products at a large and small scale. At The Warehouse Food Hall, tour members […]